and blessed yet say 't is Dust and Death the Serpent's Meat c. Apol. Introd p. 18. to his New Rome We do not believe any of these Quakers ever so said of the Precepts and Doctrin nor do they own any such Saying I wholly disown it But then to beg the Question What was it you called Dust and Serpent's Meat Was it nothing else but the Ink and Paper Did any Body ever say That these were not Dust Or Is that any part of the Controversie betwixt us Snake p. 249. Here he yields the Point he grants the Ink and Paper to be Dust. I said Will decay and turn to Dust but so will not the Word the Gospel nor the Holy Doctrin contain'd in Scripture And it has been confess'd by F. B. and others That Holiness is not ascrib'd to the Paper and Ink or Inky Characters that will decay but to the Holy Doctrin and Precepts which will not decay but be permanent and endure and therefore called the Holy Scriptures with respect to the Holy Matters therein contained That the Books and Writings in Ink and Paper will wear out so will not the Word is evident Jehoiakim King of Judah could burn Jeremiah the Prophet's Roll or Book writ with Ink by Barach but not the Word of the Lord nor properly the Words thereof for the same Word caused all the former Words to be written again after the Roll was burnt Jer. 36. If then the Books the Paper and Ink be combustible or will decay and turn to Dust but not the Word nor the Doctrin where 's then the Controversie indeed when the same thing is granted on both sides He quotes Gr. Myst. p. 302. Sect. 11. p. 146 147. as saying Paper and Ink is not infallible that will come to Dust unto which the Word Christ and the Spirit is preferred in the same place quoted And in the said Gr. Myst. p. 78. by Letter he there means Paper and Ink but the Scripture the thing it speaks of is spiritual the Word is Spirit And further p. 127. the Scripture or Writing it self without the Spirit that gave it forth is a dead Letter in it self The Spirit is that that gave forth the Scriptures For my part as I am not in the least conscious to my self of the least Contempt of Holy Scripture nor yet of the Bible for I have always preferr'd it to all other Books extant in the World and more affected Reading therein than any other Book even from my Childhood and often bless divine Providence for preserving to us the Scriptures So I know of none among us guilty of contemning them Neither is what 's said from any Contempt of Scripture no more than it is of the Earth and the Heavens to say They shall wax old and perish but the Word that made them endureth Psal. 102. 25 26. Heb. 1. 11 12. But say what we can in this Case to clear our selves of any Contempt to the Holy Scripture this our uncharitable Judge and Accuser will not believe us He 's bent to asperse he has swallow'd down so much of the soure Leaven of the Malice of a few false Brethren Persecutors and Apostates from whom he derives much of his Authority and thus scurrilously and most falsly imposes upon me viz. And therefore George notwithstanding all thy meally Modesty it is it is indeed George it is the very Doctrin of the Scriptures which you blaspheme as Dust and Death and Serpent's Meat on purpose to bring Men off from trying your pernicious Heresies by those saecred Oracles p. 250. This is a pernicious Abuse and Calumny against my self and others of us to out-face us against our very Sense and Consciences and in good Conscience I testifie against it it never entred into my Intention or Thoughts so to blaspheme the Doctrin of the Scriptures as to term or deem it Dust Death or Serpent's Meat The Lord rebuke this lying envious Spirit Neither do I vilifie the written Doctrin and Precepts of God in comparison of our New Light as he falsly calls it p. 250 251. but reverently esteem them The Man makes no Conscience of defaming us Neither do we quarrel with the Law and the Testimony nor yet with Writing or Scripture as 't is in Ink or Paper but distinguish between the Writing and the Things written which is no Contempt to either We are thankful to Divine Providence for both the Scripture or Writing and the Holy Doctrin and Divine Precepts therein written for they testifie unto Christ our Light and our â—ight to the Truth of them And to what he saith If any do not teach the same i. e. according to the Law and the Testimony or written Word it is because there is no Light in them Isa. 8. 20. And then puts this Emphasis upon it No Light George Mark that Your false Pretences to the Light within are here over-rul'd p. 251. I deny that our Pretences to the Light within is either false or here over-rul'd if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Morning to them If he 'll see the Note from the Hebrew in some Bibles he may see no Morning in the Margin over against no Light Then let him Mark that But is there no Light in the Creation before Morning either inward or outward pray Did not the Light shine in Darkness before it shined out of Darkness And had not the Believers a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto they did well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark Place until the Day dawned and the Day-star arose in their Hearts 2 Pet. 1. 19. And are not many reproved by the Light them in for telling Lies and speaking contrary to the Word c. And therefore there was some true Light in them before the Morning appeared to them And tho' my Accuser says These and such-like Texts detect and explode the miserable Ignorance and Blasphemy of these Pretenders to Light For which we have his own ipse dixit and much such Raillery but know no plain Texts of Scripture yet produced by him that so detects us but his own Falshood and great Ignorance about the Light is very apparent Again he falsly defames and reprobaches me from p. 28. Of Innocency Triumphant with excusing and justifying Diabolical Suggestions in the Quaker-Refuge he saith against the Authority of the sacred Scripture by saying That it questioned but some not all p. 252. This Accuser has a most odious injurious course of defaming and perverting as well as curtalizing our Words wherein he has taken part with his famous Author F. Bugg to whom the Answer was given on which he grounds his black Charge against me Of justifying Diabolical Suggestions c. In which Answer I expresly declare thus viz. His Accusation that the Quakers insinuate in a Book called The Quakers Refuge That What the true Prophets spake was false and What the false Prophets spoke was true p. 47. New Rome Vnm. p. 23. We
of Wrath and Envy that he notoriously belies us in his Prayer in saying That they i. e. the Quakers will not pray for themselves He seemingly prays but rails and reviles as it were with one Breath both next before and after his Prayer Sn. p. 319. That thus the Quakers say That he Christ dwelt only in the Body of that Man Jesus as in a Vail but took not that Body into his own Person so as to become Hypostatically united to it Re. We are to seek herein as not knowing where the Quakers say these things of Christ and his Body which he took and dwelt in as if he took it not into his own Person so as to be really or substantially united to it we never understood that it did not properly belong to himself but to some other Person The Objection herein against us is not only some Perversion but frivilous and impertinent Tho' his Flesh is called the Vail yet 't was that he owned as his own Body being also called the Body of Jesus which was not a fantastical but a real Body and he who is the entire Christ the Man Jesus is not divided in Body or Spirit Nevertheless Christ the eternal Son of God was as to his divine Nature and spiritual Being as the spiritual Rock before he took on him that Body that was prepared for him Sn. p. 320. That the Quakers most expresly make Christ's outward Blood the Type and Figure of inward Blood shed spiritually in their Hearts Re. We know not what Author he has for this Charge However the Quakers really own Christ's outward Blood as a part of his precious and acceptable Sacrifice and we deny not but that Blood of his as well as the Water that came out of his Side with it had an allegorical and misterious signification as well as an outward and literal evâ—â— of the spiritual Blood and Water of Life which Christ our High Priest sprinkleth and really washeth our Hearts and Consciences withal which we hope no sensible Soul will say is an outward or literal Sprinkling or Washing but an Inward and Spiritual Sn. ibid. That the Quakers make Christ without but the History and the Light within the Mistery or Substance which the Christ without as a History or Shadow of it only pointed Re. The Quakers do not so make Christ they make him no otherwise than the Father has appointed and made him to be He is more than either the History or Shadow of the Light within he as in himself is the substance of all Shadows and fulness of Light and Life from whom we have received both Spirit Light and Life Pray how proves he that the Quakers call Christ without but the History or Shadow of the Light within We want proof of this Point Sn. p. 321. That this the Quakers have done viz. set up other Scriptures against those received by the Church beyond any that ever went before them Re. We positively deny this Charge What other Scripture have they so set up against those Let 's have plain Proof for we are wholly ignorant of any such thing Sn. p. 322. That none ever have so contemned and vilified the Holy Scriptures as they have done Re. This is still maliciously to reproach and odifie us with the same old reiterated Calumny We know none that esteem and own the Holy Scriptures more than we both in Faith and Practice by the assistance of the Holy Spirit from whence they came Sn. p. 323. That a Man bringing a Bible into the Quaker's Meeting-House in Grace-Church-street and reading part of a Chapter the 14th of St. Luke it being the Bible so moved their Indignation that one of the chief of them snatched the Bible out of his Hand and thrust him along the Gallery down several Steps Re. We know no such Indignation or Action shewn by any of us against the Bible nor against any Person because thereof neither do we believe it let the Author prove it if he can We disown any such Indignation either against the Bible or any Person meerly because thereof Possibly some publick Disturber might by some or other present be gently turned out of Doors not because of the Bible but because of some offensive turbulent Behaviour Sn. p. 325. That upon pretence of the Light within the Devil the grand Deceiver drew them away from reading of the Scriptures c. discovers their preference of their own Writings to the Holy Striptures Re. We deny both these as utterly false scandalous and relative to many more Lies of the same kind in this Point Sn. p. 327 328. That they give all the threatning Discouragements that can be to deter any from reading of them Re. This is as gross and notorious a Falshood as the rest Sn. p. 330. I can saith the Opposer name those that now stand high among them who did before many Witnesses of the principal Quakers not stick to say That Paul was dark and ignorant and that they saw beyond him Re. We know none either High or Low among us that ever so said of Paul therefore let him produce his many Witnesses to prove who those were that so said that Paul was dark c. or otherwise for ever be ashamed of such odious Defamations Sn. p. 335. That Simon Magus was the Father of the Quakers Socinians and all the rest of the Anti trinitarian Hereticks Re. A gross Calumny against the Quakers rendring them a Sorcerer's Children But they deny both Simon Magus and all Sorcerers and the Devil the Father of Lies and all such as would persuade People to buy the Gift of God the Gospel for Mony The Quakers are as opposite to such Simony as Light is to Darkness Sn. p. 338. That E. Burrough pag. 47. determines clearly That the Scriptures are not now of any Authority at all to us at this Day Re. He perverts E. B.'s Words We find not such a determination of his but where he speaks of that not being a Command from God to me which he commands to another he intends this of special Commands that were to some as to Baptize and Preach the Gospel as he immediately explains it and not of general Commands of Duty incumbent upon all nor against the Authority of the Scriptures it being the Holy Spirit that makes them authoritative and binding and enables Men to live accordingly who are led by the same Spirit Sn. p. 342. That G. Whitehead in his serious Apology p. 49. prefers not only their Writings but their Ex tempore Preachments and even all whatsoever they speak upon any Account to the Holy Scriptures themselves Re. He very perversly wrongs G. Whitehead in all these Expressions for there 's not a word of preferring our Writings to the Holy Scriptures much less of all whatsoever we speak thereto but a preferring the Holy Spirit and its immediate Teaching in Man to the Letter of Scripture and preaching in the true sense of the Spirit with divine Authority according as Christ did
same i. e. our effectual Cleansing and actual Deliverance from Sin and Satan c. which he has obtained for us and for Mankind by his Sufferings and Mediation 2. We never ascribed to our selves a Power sufficient to work out our own Salvation that 's notoriously known to be expresly contrary to our professed Principle We ascribe our sufficiency to be in Christ by his own Power Grace and Light in us to work out our Salvation it being by Grace through Faith in Christ that we are saved not of our selves 't is the Gift of God and without him we can do nothing And this Heavenly Treasure though we have it in our earthen Vessels the excellency of the Power is of God and not of us After his many Scoffs at our Doctrin of Infallibility which he knows not what to make of he has at length stumbl'd upon an Instance of those he esteems will be found to have the best Title to it p. 85. where it is written Prov. 16. 10. A divine Sentence is in the Lips of the King and his Mouth transgresseth not in Judgment We would ask him If none are indued with a divine Sentence and unerring Judgment but Kings Or if none are Saints and Partakers of the Spirit of Truth or divine Wisdom but Kings What kind of Kings he means that are thus infallible he does not distinguish sure they must be just and good Kings indued with divine Wisdom But are none else so but Kings Do not all that truly fear God partake of the same Spirit and Wisdom Is God any respecter of Persons What does he think of those very Elect whom Christ implies 't is impossible to deceive Mat. 24. 24. Are they fallible or deceivable Or of them in whose Mouths was found no Guile Or of them who have put away all Guile and all Malice and all Lying and all Hypocrisie c. 1 Pet. 2. 1. Are such led by an infallible Spirit or no But to proceed he has some very scurrilous and abusive Flings at G. W. to prove him not led by an infallible Spirit of discerning or true Judgment p. 87. He quotes G. W.'s Charitable Essay in Answer to Fr. Bugg p. 6. his objecting against G. F. That they the Quakers could discern who were Saints and who Apostates without speaking ever a Word And says that he G. W. puts it off ingeniously thus That they could discern it by their lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances and so without speaking ever a Word p. 87. And then among divers other Scoffs and Flouts goes on Is not this very hard Fishing for Infallibility Adding Alas poor George Is the infallible Quaker dwindled down to a meer Gypsie or paltry Fortune-teller to nothing but a little Skill in Physiognomy Ah! George what a blessed Spirit would'st thee have thought Satan if thee hadst seen him when he was transform'd into an Angel of Light p. 88. 89. in Sect. 10. To all which it may be safely answer'd This Scorner's Abuse and Perversion is herein very evident for that we do not place our Infallibility of discerning of Spirits only upon those outward Signs in the Countenances of wicked Men or Women as their lofty Looks scornful Eyes envious fallen Countenances though these were in part instanced in Answer to the great wonderment made of knowing wicked Hearts when silent to shew there are other outward Signs and Tokens to manifest them by than their wicked Words or prophane Talk and even such Signs as Scripture takes notice of And seeing this Scorner has unjustly perverted and minced the Passage quoted Char. Essay p. 5 6. 't is meet to recite it more fully for the Quakers having a Spirit given to them beyond all the Fore-fathers in the Apostacy c. viz. That the very intent and meaning of G. F.'s Words herein was not beyond all the Fore-fathers without exception but beyond all in the Apostacy And further and they can discern who are Saints and who are Devils and who are Apostates without speaking ever a word that is they that be in the Power and Life of Truth as G. F. there saith can so discern between Saints and Devils and that 's possible as 't is for humble Men to discern wicked Persons even by their proud and lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances the shew of whose Counteannces testifing against them And more especially by the Gift of discerning of Spirits given to some in the Church of Christ Apostates and wicked Spirits are discernible from Saints and that a Spirit of Vnderstanding and Discerning is given among us c. concluding with the Saints Right of discerning by the Power and Life of Truth between Saints and Devils From all which pray observe how plain it is that discerning of Spirits which we assert is principally placed on and springs from the Power and Life of Truth that is from Christ and the Gift of discerning of Spirits given to some Members especially and still is continued in the true Church and from which discerning Satan cannot be hid however he transform himself altho' proud and lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances are rendred in Scripture as outward Signs or Marks of such wicked Hearts which also the Gift and Spirit of discerning perceiveth and gives to see many times through such outward Mediums And therefore the true discerning of Spirits which we plead for is neither dwindled down to a meer Gypsie nor paltry Fortune-teller nor to nothing but a little Jugler's Skill in Physiognomy as this scornful Adversary reflects And to reprehend his Reproach and Blasphemy herein and shew him that both God and good Men divinely inspired have also taken notice of such Signs Marks and Tokens in wicked Men's Looks and Countenances as before mentioned Let him read and consider these places of Scripture Gen. 4. 5 6. Psal. 10. 4. Isa. 3. 9 16. 2. 11. 5. 15. Psal. 131. 1. Prov. 30. 13. 6. 17. 21. 4. And he may see that both God Himself and his Prophets and Servants took notice of wicked Men's Countenances proud and lofty Looks and wanton Eyes c. and did not therefore deserve to be numbred among Gypsies and Juglers Behold the Levity and Ignorance of this prophane Scoffer of the Spirit of discerning and Scripture Who further in 's scoffing Humour proceeds against G. W. notoriously to detect his Infallibility by Signs and Faces as well as G. Fox 's without speaking ever a word as he pretends His Story is about one Chr. Athinson 's miscarriage at Norwich in the Year 1655. from Richard Hubberthorn's writing That in the wisdom of God we were searching it out and in his Will waiting for his Counsel The Scoffer reflects That notwithstanding all this neither G. Fox G. Whitehead nor any other of the infallible Gang could find it out till Chr. Atkinson prickt with the stings of his own Conscience did freely and of his own accord confess
cleanseth from Sin and that this was not to be resolved into the Light within nor to be spiritualiz'd away from the Letter Re. Let us be excused if we cannot take that Text 1 John 1. 7. altogether literally if cleansing from all Sin be a spiritul and inward Work or Act as no doubt it is there 's as much ascribed to the Spirit as to the Blood in respect to the Work of Sanctification Washing and Cleansing from Sin And therefore the Blood of Christ may be both taken spiritually and literally and this is not to spiritualize away the Letter relating to the outward Blood and Sacrifice of Christ seeing we have always believed both in the Letter and receive the Fruit thereof in the Spirit Sn. p. 148. Sect. 11. These Men whose chief Principle is to decry and damn the Letter Re. This is a most gross and foul Calumny Our preferring the Spirit to the Letter as the Apostles did is no decrying nor damning the Letter nor so intended by us but to bring People to the Life and Substance and real fulfilling of Scripture To what he saith in distinction between Christ the Word of God and the Book of Scriptures p. 151 152. this makes for us and against them who have often affirmed that Book to be the Word in opposition to our owning Christ to be the Word of whom the Scriptures testifie And this on our part is no Contempt of the Holy Scriptures nor in their place any deifying of our own Spirit and our own Scriptures as this Adversary most falsly accuseth us p. 152. His most seeming pretence for Proof against us of Contempt of Holy Scripture is in p. 142. Sect. 11. where he quotes a Passage out of a Book Entituled The Quaker's Refuge c. thus viz. Whether the first Pen-man of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes Or whether both these are not one Or whether there are not many Words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Whether some Words were not spoken by the grand Impostor some by wicked Men some by wise Men ill applied some by good Men ill express'd some by false Prophets and yet true some by true Prophets and yet false And here the Accuser breaks off in his Citation like as F. Bugg used to deal by us who has the same Passage to defame us as he hath done Whereas next after the Words And yet false these follow viz. Is not the Subject of my Argument at this time Here 't is plain the Author R. R. has cited these Questions about the Scriptures not as the Subject of his own Argument but of some others he would not then be concerned to dispute those Questions or Doubts For the said Author farther confesseth That such Scriptures and Prophesies as have been written and prophesied by the Holy Men of God as they were moved by his Spirit treating of the Mystery of God in the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind by Jesus Christ and the Duty of Man in his Obedience to and Worship of the same God as his reasonable Service for the Gift of so great Salvation are the great Concerns now under our most serious Consideration From hence it 's clear the Author was no Contemner of Holy Scripture and 't is clear the Subject of his Argument was for the Authority of the Holy Spirit in judging or discerning the Mind of God in the Holy Scriptures as truly own'd by the Quakers thus in the said Book Quaker's Refuge p. 17. which could not intend any Contempt of the Holy Scriptures much less a deifying either of our own Spirit i. e. the Spirit of Man or our own Writings in their place We have rarely ever met with more mad unlikely and improbable Aspersions than these from our most outragious Adversaries To what is objected p. 155. Sect. 11. viz. That they i. e. the Quakers cannot be bound by any Command in the Scriptures unless their Spirit anew require the same This is falsly stated 't is not our own Spirit i. e. the Spirit of Man abstractly that we profess to be under the Conduct of but the same Spirit which gave forth the Holy Scriptures And is not awanting to require of us the performance of its own necessary Commands and Doctrins contained in the Scriptures seeing 't is the same Spirit which leads it's sincere Followers into all Truth consequently not to undervalue any of those blessed Truths recorded in the Holy Scriptures And therefore this Adversary's Consequence intended against us viz. That the Scripture remains of no Authority with us p. 155. is very unjust being deduced from his own false Suggestions supposing us to set the Spirit in opposition to the Scriptures of Truth whereas we plead for the divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures in so much preferring the Holy Spirit from whence they proceeded and derive their Authority and not from Human Tradition And this is far from spiritualizing away all the Letter of the Scripture or Christ's Humanity as in p. 166. as we are often unjustly aspersed To what he saith p. 168. That Enthusiasts have no Principles they have no Rule but their own Fancy which is strongest in mad Men and this they mistake for Inspiration and then their Madness is at the height We say take Enthusiasm in the truest and best Sense and then such are inspired of God and by his Inspiration have a true Understanding and right Principles given them both Divine and Moral and do not mistake Fancy for Divine Inspiration But to whom does the Man apply this Enthusiasm which he renders Fancy more strong in mad Men and height of Madness In his next Page 't is to the Quakers He says No Quaker can deny but that the Principle of the Quakers is all Enthusiasm There never was any Enthusiasm in the World that exceeded it p. 169. Sect. 11. Here he seems to take Enthusiasm in the Quaker's Sense which is Divine Inspiration or inspired of God which sure cannot be meer Fancy much less the height of Madness as before The Quakers certainly deny this of themselves Thus the Man's confused in 's injurious Attempts to defame us with the height of Madness His Objection against the Quaker's Enthusiasm as he calls it That none that ever called themselves Christians have advanced themselves so high to have the same infallible Spirit and immediate Revelation as the Prophets and Apostles or as Christ himself c. p. 169. Herein he 's greatly out All true Christians are Partakers of the Spirit of Christ in some degree or measure for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and his Spirit is infallible and a Manifestation of the same Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal and the Effusion of this Spirit upon all Flesh was promised and we believe the Promises of God which are all Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus Therefore this our Adversary who is so much averse to having the same infallible
the least Farthing with the aforesaid Discourse and then see how he 'll reconcile his Notion thereunto In Sect. 16. Concerning the Holy Trinity he saith The Quakers and Socinians acknowledge a Three but deny a Trinity which is to confess the same Thing in English and to deny it in Latin for Trinitas is only Latin for Three He mistakes the Quakers They do not deny the Three either in Latin or English but really own the holy divine Three in Heaven tho' their being rendred distinct and separate Persons by some of our former Adversaries we have conscientiously questioned as unscriptural Terms Our Adversary adds They cannot tell what Three they are if not Three Persons p. 219. This is a Mistake we can safely tell what to call them in Scripture Language That they are Three that bear Record or Three witnessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Witnesses in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One John 1. 5. These are the Father Son and Holy Spirit which are essentially One or One in the Divine Being Our Adversary further saith The Quakers who own the Divinity of Christ are under greater Difficulties than the Socinians who deny the Divinity of Christ p. 219. 'T is well he now grants the Quakers own the Divinity of Christ But how well this agrees with much of his Book against us let the serious Reader judge And we know no Difficulties we are under herein The Man imagins and would obtrude Difficulties upon us from his own Terms which are none of ours as that there is but One Person in the Godhead which are none of our Words Much less his Muggletonian Consequence That God died and that Christ was his own Father to whom he pray'd upon the Cross. We know no real occasion given by the Quakers for him to draw such Absurdities upon them or to be afraid of such Distinctions and Salvo's at the bottom of the Quaker-pretences as impertinently he prates against them exposing his pretended Fears instead of Proofs And what if G. F. opposed Chr. Wade's calling The Holy Ghost a Person And if he said The Scriptures do not tell the People of Three Persons c And yet confessing the Father Son and Holy Spirit to be always One Does it follow That the Quakers do not acknowledge that there were Three in Heaven before Christ was born as he saith it seems p. 220. And then to aggravate the Matter against G. F. That he means One Person as Muggleton does p. 220. What if the Quakers think the Term Three Persons too low an Epithite or Character to put upon the most Glorious Blessed Three that bear Record in Heaven Can they be to blame herein When they aim at giving more Honour to them in a true Scripture sense than they think the Term Persons imports yet still owning the Holy Divine Three in Heaven and that they were before Christ was born contrary to what 's unduly suggested against us For the Father the Word and Holy Spirit were concerned both in Divine Wisdom Power and Goodness in forming preserving and governing both the Old Creation and the New By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the Spirit of his Mouth Psal. 33. 6. So here 's the Divine Holy Three forming and compleating the first Creation And the Gospel was commanded to be preached in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost that Men might truly believe and know the Work of God by his dear Son and Holy Spirit unto their everlasting Salvation Peace and Comfort For God so loved the World that he hath given his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life John 3. 16. And Jesus answered and said If any Man love me he will keep my Word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and will dwell with him John 14. 23. And ver 26. The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I have told you And Ch. 15. 26. But when the Comforter shall come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth of the Father he shall testifie of me And 1 Joh. 4. 13 14. Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit And we have seen and do testifie That the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World All which may evince how scripturally we own a Trinity or Holy Three in the Deity Our Accuser tells of what unimaginable Excesses Enthusiasm may drive Men to and that all should beware of that desperate Shelve upon which both our Church and State have suffered miserable Shipwreck p. 221 222. Here he disparages his own Church whereby we may beware of embarking in such a â—raz'd wreck'd Vessel as here he represents her He excepts against the Words not distinct from which G. F. intends in a sort of common Acceptation That the Son is not divided or separate from the Father p. 222 223 224. Tho' 't is true in one Sense the Father Son and Holy Ghost are not essentially distinct as to their divine Being which is but One they are but One God but in respect to their Properties of Relation as Father Son and Holy Ghost as such they are distinct but not divided nor separate either in themselves or Work of the Old or New Creation yet not Three Gods nor Three distinct Creâ—tors but One God and One Creator Passing by divers Impertinencies and Absurdities under this Head to conclude We know no People professing a Deity in Christendom that more sincerely and livingly believe and confess a most glorious Scripture-Trinity or Holy Three the Father the Word or Son and Holy Ghost than we the People called Quakers do believe and confess to the Praise and Glory of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Our Accuser's 17th Sect. Concerning the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ is full of Falshoods Perversions and Misconstructions 1. He begins with this Falshood viz. The Quakers Heresie in this is taken from the Socinians They say Christ took Flesh but no otherwise as they explain it than as Angels assumed Bodies c. Which is notoriously false against the Quakers who confess and believe That Christ the Word took real Flesh a real Body and not a meer Apparition nor a Fantastical Body and so they have often declared both in Print and Preaching 2. That they allow not always that Christ did inspire the Person of that Man Jesus in an higher measure than other Men. False and perverse again God did inspire the Man Christ Jesus higher than all other Men he received the Spirit not by measure but in fulness he was anointed with the Oil of Gladness above all his Fellows All other Men even the best are inspired
attempts against us that he may not be suffered to sculk and hide himself like a Snake under Grass And as to the seven Queries which he upbraids us with reproaching us As puting them all off with one general Answer c. as a trick and deceit of ours to hide and cover our monstrous Heresies and a full confession of our Heresies Pref. p. 350. Which being monstrous Calumnies and from which our general Answer to the unprejudiced clears us though we expected it would meet with such ill Treatment and Mis-construction as it hath from G. K. and this Author therefore thought meet to publish the said Answer herewith for the information of others more Charitable and Impartial than this our present Accuser and unjust Judge The said Queries appear to be of so little weight and some of them so indirect and in unscriptural Terms and perversly designed for cavil that I do not think they deserve to be reprinted here The following Answer being positive plain and scriptural as well as comprehensive of what 's necessary to be said to the matters chiefly Questioned And tho' I have long had a more particular Answer to the said Queries ready I do not think my self obliged at present to gratifie such imperious arbitrary Inquisitors as our present Adversaries with the publication thereof but rather for farther information in these matters chiefly Queried refer them and others to these our Books viz. First A Testimony of what we believe of Christ both as he was God and Man c. By G. F. Printed Anno 1677. And Secondly The Christian Doctrin and Society of the People called Quakers c. And Thirdly The Harmony of the Old and New Testament concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ c. With many more ancient Books whereby it may appear that we were not to seek our Faith concerning Jesus and the Resurrection before the said Queries came to our hands G. W. Lon. 3d day 4th Month call'd June 1695. Friend William Lancaster HAving received a Paper of great Objections against us the People called Quakers with seven Queries therein subscribed William Lancaster directed to our Yearly Meeting in Whitson-week 1695. and delivered to some of us very near the conclusion thereof and therefore only read in the said Meeting with not having any further time to consider the Contents thereof or to give any particular answer thereunto It was by the said Meeting left to a few to consider and answer as in the Fear of God and Meekness of Wisdom we should see Cause Wherein we observe is noted great Objections have been made against us by those who have departed from our Communion as by others To which we reply that 't is true and they have been answer'd to which we refer And we observe in the said Paper it s said We would not take an account of you only from your Adversaries c. And we have chosen this solemn Time And again And we have chosen this most proper and convenient Opportunity c. And then states the several Queries and says the Questions may be proposed and their Answer demanded Now the Objections having been publick and our Answers publick we desire to know who the We are that are intended in this Paper that we may apply our selves to them or give such Scriptural Answers as we hope may tend to satisfaction But to repeat Answers in writing or print to we know not who so often as demanded to the same things already answer'd We think it not needful Therefore have herewith only sent thee a few brief Lines being grosly Wronged and Misrepresented in the said Objections and divers of the Queries contain several Questions in them in different Terms and some Vnscriptural so not plain and direct Queries therefore cannot positively be answer'd by our simple YEA or NAY to each Query as designed We therefore at present send this general Answer to the Queries for thy information as follows viz. We sincerely believe and profess Jesus Christ and the Resurrection according to the Holy Scripture Testimony and to that measure of Vnderstanding which God hath been pleased to give us by his Holy Spirit We sincerely believe in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of the living God both as he is true God and perfect Man our Emanuel and Mediator and as in the fulness of Time he was Conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem of Judea Suffer'd under Pontius Pilate was Crucified and put to Death was Buried rose again the third Day and visibly Ascended into Heaven and was received into Glory and that this same Jesus Christ that was Crucified shall so in like manner come as he was seen to go into Heaven in Power and great Glory to Judge both the Living and the Dead according to their Works at the last and great Day of Judgment in that great Harvest which is the End of the World And that by Jesus Christ there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Vnjust unto the righteous Judgment of the great Day consequently that the Resurrection is not past as Hymeneus and Philetus said 2 Tim. 2. 18. And that the Dead shall be raised incorruptible Every Man in his own order and that our low Body shall be changed and made like unto Christ's glorious Body The Resurrection of the Bodies of the Saints We Believe shall be Spiritual and Glorious and that the Sons of God and of the Resurrection shall be equal with the Angels of God in Heaven and shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father and yet there is such a great Mystery in the Resurrection as that Flesh and Blood cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption 1 Cor. 15. The whole Sacrifice of Christ whereof his Blood outwardly that was shed was a part was of great Price with God for Mans Redemption Christ's Blood that was shed without the Gates of Jerusalem together with the whole Sacrifice himself both of Soul and Body was a true Propitiation and Attonement for Mans reconciliation and peace with God for remission of Sins through a living Faith and true Repentance in his Name given and wrought by his Spirit and Word of Power in Mens Hearts whose sincere obedience to Christ and Walking in his Light being required of them in order to experience Christ the Author of their eternal Salvation and to wash them from their Sins in his own Blood For without this true Faith Repentance and Obedience to Christ Jesus Men lose and forfeit the great Benefit of Christs Sufferings and deprive themselves of the Eternal Redemption and Salvation which he hath hereby obtain'd for us Tho' he dyed for all Men tasted death for every Man and gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified of in due time being a true Propitiation for the Sins of the World From thy Friends and Well-wishers John Gratton Samuell Wattson Thomas Lower James Parke John Bowater George Witehead John
with Gross Error but Hypocrisie too The first intends those Books of ours quoted by him in all which there 's Matter sufficient to clear us from his Aspersions as Thomas Ellwood and John Pennington also have well observed in divers Answers to him together with G. Keith's own former Vindications of us as a People and our Principles The latter i. e. Hypocrisie we may suppose must intend our Answer given to the said 7 Queries wherein as in divers other things G. K. hath foully belied us contrary to our own Consciences which are clear in the sight â—f God from Hypocrisie in this Matter as well as in other things And seeing G. K.'s Authority seems to be of some value with the obscure Author of The Snake in the Grass he and his Brethren of the Church of England may take G. K. for their Champion and see what they can make of him for he shews himself now no Quaker but more near to them and where he 'll yet center or settle in what Society or Communion is a great Question Or rather whether he does not aim at setting up for himself as Sect-master if he can draw some sort of People to admire him in his Notions and reproaching the Quakers contrary to his former manifold Vindications of them and their Principles after above 30 Years Conversation and kind Treatment among them The Second Part. Here follows a Catalogue of some of the great Mistakes notorious Abuses and Calumnies in the Second Part of the said Book stiled The Snake in the Grass after the Preface which is bigger than the Book it self THE Controversie with the Quaker-Dissenters has not been pursued by the Church of England with the like Zeal and Pains as those against the Presbyterians Independents and other Dissenters because the Quakers were not so considerable either for their Learning or for their Influence upon the publick Revolutions which the others caused both in Church and State But their numbers whether increased by their being so neglected are now really formidable I mean for the many Souls seduced by them they not only swarm over these Nations but they stock our Plantations abroad Re. Tho' the first part of this Complaint carries no small Reflection upon the Presbyterians and Independents c. rendring them greatly obnoxious in the Eye of the Government as not only formidable but dangerous which is most proper for them to answer 't is not truly stated as to the Quakers For the Church of England in the two late King's Reigns has pursued them with more Zeal and Pains than any other Dissenters both to stop their Growth and to root them out also tho' not by rationally controverting Matters in difference but by such extream and severe Persecutions as hard Imprisonments Banishments Spoil of Goods c. as no other People of Dissenters have so generally suffered nor to such a degree because they did not stand in a publick Testimony in the Heat of the Day as the People called Quakers have So that 't is not through the said Churches neglect or want of taking Pains to pursue the Quakers that they are so multiplied and increased but rather as the first and chief cause of their Increase was God's Power and divine Providence A secondary Cause was their great Oppressions and Persecutions of which Israel's Oppression and Increase when in Egypt in some sense and degree was figurative or resembling even of the true Churches Sufferings when the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and grew Sn. p. 4. I find them scoffingly telling of the Rabbies of the Quakers to inherit the Subtilty as well as Heresie of the Arians and Socinians who were the most subtil and hardest to be detected of any of the Christian Hereticks and the Quakers do defend themselves with the same distinctions and even add to their Arts. Re. This Adversary is very much out and maliciously calumnious in this his charging the Heresie of the Arians as well as Socinians upon the Ministers among the Quakers For what was the Heresie of Arius Was it not that he held That the Son of God had his beginning of nothing That there was a time when he was not That he had a beginning of Essence That he had this Essence of nothing That the Son of God was of free Will inclined to Virtue and Vice That he was a Creature and made neither like unto the Father in Substance neither the true Word of the Father by Nature neither his true Wisdom and that the Word of God was not from Everlasting c. These Heresies were charg'd upon Arius and his Complices in the Syâ—odical Epistle of the Council of Nice and Bishop of Alexandria lib. 1. cap. 3. Socr. Scol p. 215 216. p. 225. ch 6. Now we challenge this obscure Adversary to prove where ever the Quakers or their Ministers held these blasphemous and atheistical Notions Nay 't is manifest they hold the quite contrary both to Arius and Socinus for the Divinity of the Son of God the Eternal Word as many of their Writings testifie and therefore he is a gross Lyar who charges us with them and highly guilty of Folly and Self-contradiction also in rendring such mad Folks as he deems us so very subtil in Distinctions and Arts. Sn. p. 5. Many of them have really gone off from the height of Blasphemy and Madness which was professed among them at their first setting up in the Year 1650. and so continued till after the Year of the Restoration Anno 1660. Re. We utterly deny this Charge again as a foul Scandal That many of us professed the height of Blasphemy and Madness or that any in Society with us have so done The Man shamefully abuseth the Readers by imposing such lying defaming Stories upon them Sn. p. 10 11. Divers Comparisons made between L. Muggleton and the Quakers as denying all Church-Authority making a dead Letter of the Holy Scriptures and resolving all into their own private Spirit c. That these are Twin-Enthusiasts both born in the Year 1650. Re. His Comparisons herein are unjust and Accusations false 1. We never owned nor had Society with Muggleton but always bore our Testimony against his dark blasphemous Conceits 2. The spiritual Authority of the true Church we always own and esteem 3. The Holy Scriptures i. e. the Holy Doctrin of the Gospel we do not make nor call a dead Letter We distinguish between the dead Letter and the living Doctrin and follow not our private Spirits for the understanding thereof but the Spirit of God the Inspiration of the Almighty which giveth the true understanding Sn. p. 12. I desire before I go farther to obviate a Prejudice which some Readers may take as a little Railery I am forced to use now and then which they may think not becoming the Subject in Hand Re. His said Book of Four Shillings Price has more than a little Railery in 't for 't is stuft with abundance of as shameful Railery
it and sign'd a Paper of Condemnation of himself for this wicked Fact p. 90 91 92. Sect. 10. And what of all this What can he make of it That the then Quakers could not find out the Matter of Fact till upon their searching it out and waiting in the Will of God for his Counsel the Offender was made to confess it from inward Conviction in 's own Conscience And what 's the consequence Therefore they were not led by an infallible Spirit that follows not That Spirit might lead them to search and examine the Offender in order to bring him under Judgment and Sense of his Evil which they understood before and upon Examination and placing true Judgment upon him were made instrumental to bring him under Judgment and Confession for some discovery of his Crime was made before which occasioned their farther Enquiry and Care to prevent the reproach thereof from falling upon Truth and our Friends that were innocent Besides G. W. was not at Norwich when this Miscarriage hapned and was discovered yet he affirms that sometime before both he and some others perceived that the said C. Atkinson's Spirit was wrong and that he did not live in the fear of God nor in Humility and that they were burthened concerning him and did seriously caution him but he was too high to receive their Counsel insomuch that they were jealous Truth would suffer by him some way or other tho' they pretended not to know the Grossness of his Miscarriage aforehand nor till some discovery was made thereof neither were they or are we desirous to know all private Conversations and Actions of evil Men. We pretend not to know by Revelation or the infallible Spirit how many drunken Priests are in England c. nor how many of them have had their Misses and Bastards by their Maids and others nor who they all are by Name but by outward Relation we have had account of a great many such tho' we charge not all nor any of the eminent ones who are more sober than the rest And if this scornful Adversary shall therefore conclude that we have not the Spirit of Christ which is infallible he might as well conclude no Man has it because not omniscient which were very absurd and blasphemous And then be sure he has excluded himself from having that infallible Spirit of Christ and so is none of his and consequently destroyed the credit of all his own Work against us as therein having followed his own Spirit dictated by Satan as the false and lying Prophets did and not the Spirit of the Lord God To his scurrilous Story of more tender regard shewed to some young Women who had given a Confession in Writing to John Bolton of their frailty in the Flesh as is told in the Spirit of the Hat but it was hush'd up because it touched many eminent ones in the Ministry who from Day to Day resorted unto them c. p. 95 96. Sect. 10. This is a sligh insinuating way of implicitely scandalizing Persons by such old envious Stories and all to cast Dirt not only upon some private Persons but even upon many eminent ones of the Ministry without telling us the Names either of the Men or Women charged At this rate many honest Persons who are of good Fame also may be very injuriously brought under suspicion of great Enormity and Scandal But let this Adversary who is so very credulous of such infamous Stories come forth and shew himself and be more plain and particular in his Charge as of the Persons and Matters of Fact charged together with the said Confession of the Women and probably he may have a more direct Answer For his suspicious Charge as it is exhibited by him appears a very blind Story which we can make neither Head nor Tail of And the Spirit of the Hat did then prejudicially and blindly bring it forth which 't is hoped the Author hath repented of long before this time But this Opposer should look and examin among his own Brethren and remember that the Incontinency of Priests is no new thing for there is an old penal Statue-Law 1 H. 7. 4. made against Priests Clerks and religious Men for Incontinency being duly convicted of Advoutry Fornication Incest or any other fleshly Incontinency to be punished by the Ordinary by Imprisonment according to the quantity and quality of the Trespass If this Law be obsolete and not put in Execution we cannot suppose 't is because all the Priests are reformed and clear of that Enormity in these Days However they would not all be charged with the Faults of some Sn. p. 99. I hope what has been said will be sufficient to cure Men of this most mistaken pretence to Infallibility grounded upon the Infallibility of the Spirit of God as if nothing could proceed from Infallibility but what was infallible Re. 1. We know no mistaken pretence to Infallibility that 's grounded on the Infallibility of the Spirit of God for 't is an infallible unerring Spirit in all its Gifts Teachings Operations and Fruits and leads the truly spiritual-minded into all Truth and no other Spirit can we ground Infallibility in Matters of Faith or Duty upon 2. As no Lie is of the Truth so nothing proceeds from this Spirit of Truth but what 's true and certain as all its Ways and Teachings are Sn. p. 102. The Case of the Quakers is so hard that if we can prove but ONE false Prophet among them the Infallibility of All and every one of them must be a Deceit because out of E. Burr the Infallibility is asserted to belong to every One of them in particular Re. 1. The first part is as good Logick as to say If we can prove but one Drunkard or effeminate debauched Person among the Clergy of England then they are all Drunkards c. and their pretence to be all and every one of them Christ's Ministers is but a Deceit but let him better consider on 't True Prophets were not to suffer nor to be branded for the false Prophet's Falshood and Presumption See Deut. 18. 20 21 22. 2. Infallibility is no otherwise asserted to belong to every one or any of us than as we are led by the Spirit of Truth and taught thereby a Manifestation whereof is given to every one to profit withal But we do not therefore grant that every or any false Prophet belongs to us or our Society Sn. p. 102 103. To his long Story of a Quaker-Glover in Cheapside who had his Till robb'd and of a Quaker-Prophet mistaken in the Person c. Re. 'T is too long a Story to repeat and seems designed to render us ridiculously odious to which at present take the Answer following till the Snake-man appears to bring forth better Proof THE Glover replies for himself thinking it no Favour to have his Name concealed under a true state of the Case and minds his Author it is not safe nor warrantable to publish by Hear-say
for his Account is almost in every part false containing at least twelve plain Mistakes at best A natural Consequence of being over-officious and medling in other Mens Affairs which he is the readier to let him know that if he will please to appear Face to Face and hath two Ears may be yet better informed by him who is willing to join Issue with him in his great many more Instances as he saith Nath. Marks Among his many repeated Falshoods there is something of Truth hinted about one he calls a Prophet although never so esteemed by us who not keeping in Humility true Fear and Watchfulness as the Light of the Lord would have guided him the Enemy prevailed to hurry him by the shrength of Imagination and a secret discomposure of Mind wrongfully to charge a Person with the Fact for which he has been reprehended and testified against and we desire the Lord may truly humble that Person unto true Repentance Is it just to reproach all for this one Man's Offence Would this Accuser be so dealt by from the gross Miscarriages of many of his esteemed reverend Brethren of the Clergy Or because some of them have run Mad would he and the rest be so deemed We trow not Sn. p. 104 105. These Quaker-Prophets resolv'd to try their Hands round since they had begun and see if they could terrifie some or other to confess their Infallibility Re. What Prophets and how many did so resolve This is a foul Aspersion mix'd with the other false and partial Story to defame us and to invalidate our Christian Testimony which is to the Spirit of Truth and its Infallibility Sn. p. 112. Now it is made apparent that that Spirit which possesses them i. e. the Quakers is the very Spirit of Lies which is the Spirit of the Devil and consequently that their Light within is Darkness and then as our Saviour said O how great is that Darkness Re. What a blasphemous scornful and defaming Wretch is this 1. Thus to defame and condemn a sober religious People as possest with the Spirit of the Devil from some personal Mistakes Failings and Weaknesses 2. Thus to condemn the Principle i. e. our Light within as great Darkness because of some personal Miscarriages or Darkness prevailing through their not walking in the true Light which we profess Sn. p. 113. O therefore let those Christians beware who are led away with pretences to the Spirit in any Men not only against but beside that which is written who break the Vnity of the Church which Christ calls the tearing of his own Body to pieces and forsake the Communion of their lawful Bishops whom Christ has left as his own immediate Representatives and Vice gerents and as the Principles of Vnity in their respective Churches Re. This Story affects all Protestant Dissenters how conscientious soever any of them are as if they were all led by an ill Spirit against Scripture to break the Unity of the Church of Christ and tear his Body to pieces and to forsake the Communion of Christ's own immediate Representatives and Vice-gerents Very high Charges indeed but we deny them he must produce some better Proofs than his own ipse dixit or thus imposing upon Dissenting Protestants And suppose some such Dissenters should deny a Church guilty of severe Persecution to be the Church or Body of Christ and such Bishops as have countenanced Persecution to be his Vice-gerents and therefore cannot in Conscience hold Communion with them or with that Church what proof will he bring to satisfie the Denyers thereof See what follows Sn. p. 115. Sect. 10. Tho' God sent many Prophets to reprove the Kings and the Priests yet they neither rebelled against the Kings nor set up opposite Altars against those of those wicked Priests But AS they paid all dutiful Obedience to their persecuting Kings and suffered Martyrdom under them without resistance SO did they always keep in the Communion of those same Priests whom they had provok'd and reprov'd and paid all due Obedience to their sacred Authority Re. 1st That God sent Prophets to reprove the wickedness of Kings and Priests and the Covteousness Idolatry Prophaneness and Persecution of corrupt and polluted Priests is true and that true Prophets patiently suffered by both 2. But that the true Prophets did always keep in the Communion of those same corrupted polluted and wicked Priests whom they had reproved as asserted we deny for the Holy Prophets had a distinct pure Communion from that of the polluted Priests 3. 'T is no better than a piece of Popery thus to plead for keeping Communion with wicked Priests and Obedience to their Authority as sacred when they have no divine or sacred Authority being debased by their own Iniquity This is to make People Vassals to a corrupt Priesthood such as the holy Prophets testified against and as God overthrew for their Covetousness Idolatry and Wickedness the great Corruption of Priests is sufficient cause to dissent and separate from them Sn. p. 124 125. Their Churches have censur'd these Separatists and consequently given Judgment against the Light within particular Persons Re. The Consequence is falsly deduced for where the Separation is a Self-separation for which no just Cause is or can be assigned or Corruption charged upon the Society or Church from whom the Separation is made 't is unwarrantable and not arising from the true Light in any particular Persons and therefore the Judgment against such a Self-separation is not against the Light but against a Fruit of the Flesh and Darkness The Lord requires a Separation from the Unclean but not from the Congregation of his People nor from the Flocks of his Companions Sn. p. 128. The Ground of this Persecution against G. Keith was his preaching Christ without or a personal Christ in Heaven besides the Light within which he said was only the spiritual Presence of Christ by his Light and Life in all his Children P. 130. They do not really believe in any other Saviour than their own Light within which they call Christ and so endeavour to amuse us Re. 1. We never understood that G. K. was prosecuted for preaching Christ without in Heaven and only his spiritual Presence by his Light and Life in all his Children seeing this is all still but one and the same indivisible Christ and not two Christs Christ as in the Heavens and as in our Hearts is not divided There were other Matters charg'd against G. K. of his turbulent Spirit and Behaviour making Divisions Parties Separations c. 2. We do really believe in the intire Christ of God who was sent to be the Saviour and Light of the World that enlightens every Man coming into it and he is our Light Life and Salvation and this can amuse none but them that walk in Darkness Sn. p. 140. That G. K. upon the Text 1 John 1. 7. said It ought to be taken literally that it was the outward shedding of Christ's Blood which
Spirit and so opposite to Infallibility is none of Christ's consequently no Christian. And he does but follow his own fallible Spirit being prompted on by the Father of Lies in what he writes against us consequently of no Credit therein so like one of those false Prophets that follow their own Spirits and see nothing But then severely to aggravate the Matter against us poor Madmen in his esteem he 'll needs have it That the height of our Self-advancement is to be equal even to God to be one Person Substance and Soul with God And he does not think that any Human Government can be secure of Men in whose Power it is to screw themselves up to such blasphemous heights of Enthusiasm p. 169 170. We Answer 'T is better to be mad Men and Fools than to be screwed up by the Father of Lies to such a height of Malice and Outrage as this insulting and railing Rabshekah appears to be puft up in When did ever the Quakers so advance themselves to be one Person Substance Soul with God and equal even to God We positively deny the Charge and the Words themselves but only as we are united or joined to the Lord we are one Spirit and give this Person leave to secure such Persons in Bedlam if he can find any among us that he can plainly prove to hold the same as he charges And therefore his insinuating such presumptuous Blasphemies against the Quakers in general to render them so highly obnoxious and the Government insecure of them this is highly and deadly malicious and he might as well have taken one Step further to have shewn his Teeth and have told the Government what he would have done with the Quakers how he would have them dealt with to be secure of them whether he would have them closely Confin'd Hang'd or Banish'd for take our Word his Charge is very high against them and implies no small Reflection upon the Civil Government for so kindly suffering and indulging such extreamly pernicious mad Folks as he has over and over rendred the Quakers which serves but to evince the Folly of his own Fury and Madness against a peaceable innocent People P. 153. Sect. 11. To his ridiculing Womens Preaching and Womens Meetings c. 1. We do not institute Womens Preachings as he saith but leave them free to the Gift and Call of God 2. Neither hath he proved that they are universally and perpetually forbidden to speak in the Church by that 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. The Apostle Paul did not intend to make void God's Promise of the pouring out of his Spirit upon Sons and Daughters to prophesie Joel 2. 28 29. Acts 2. 17 18. No he allowed Women to Pray or Prophesie when so divinely indued and inspired thereunto 1 Cor. 11. 5 13. 3. Our Scoffer tells us of the Prelacy of Womens Meetings which he calls an Invention never heard of in the World till G. F. cobled it out As for the Term Prelacy 't is his own given in his Scorn and Ignorance As for our Womens Meetings what has the Scorner against them or their Services more than his own Ignorance and Scorn We know Them and their Help and Service to be truly Christian and Charitable consequently to be of the Lord their Intent and Service being to be helpful in their Places for promoting true Christian Charity and Religion in Life and Practice and particularly with regard to Fatherless and Widows among us that they may not be neglected but Visited and Ministred unto in their Afflictions for their necessary Relief and Comfort And these Meetings are very expedient and convenient for Intelligence among them of such Objects of Charity and Compassion There were Deaconesses as well as Deacons in the Primitive Christian Churches 4. This Church-man has no reason to deride or contemn our Women's Meetings we charge not his Church with our Poor tho' we help to Relieve the Poor of his Church both Parish-poor and Beggars to his and their Shame be it spoken who blindly ridicules our Christian Care and Charitable Methods in this Matter In Sect. 12. concerning the Light within That the Light which lightneth every Man coming into the World being the divine Word the Son of God is not natural Reason or Conscience but above both and enlightneth both is true because divine and universally in every Man and therefore we do not by Virtue of this Light advance our selves above all Mankind nor damn all but our selves as is falsly suggested against us p. 171. But as we are turned and converted from Darkness unto this Light the Lord hath advanced us above what we our selves were in our natural and unconverted State and above all others who yet remain in that state To the Question Whether a Man can sin while he follows this Light p. 172. Answ. No nor in his truly following it And that he cannot leave the Light without knowing it or being followed with Judgment and Conviction thereof by the Light is true also Whence it does not follow that there can be no Sin of Ignorance as is wrongfully inferred p. 173. For there are Sins of Ignorance before Conviction and Conversion whilst Men walk in Darkness being ignorant of the Light that shines in it and their Minds estranged from it but after convicted or Conversion in measure if they backslide in Heart and leave the Light they cannot be left altogether ignorant of their backsliding because they shall be left without Excuse who either through their impenitent hard Hearts treasure up Wrath to themselves or backslide in Heart or wilfully sin until judicially hardned after they have received the knowledge of the Truth 1. Because of God's universal Call and Visitation by his Light and Free Grace in Christ to Sinners 2. Because of his swiftly pursuing the Wicked and all them that forsake him by his Spirit of Judgment For these and other Causes they are all inexcusable before him and the Light will pursue them even to Hell as it did the rich Man when in Hell he lift up his Eyes Luke 16. 23 28. To what our Opposer objects from these Scriptures Luke 23. 34. John 16. 2. 2 Thess. 2. 11. Mat. 6. 23. Acts 3. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 8. thence inferring against the Infallibility of the Light within and saying There can be no such Mistake as our Saviour supposes Mat. 6. 23. If the Light within be infallible and that every Man has it and that no Man can leave it without knowing of it p. 174. To all which we Answer That some Men's Ignorance of their Master's Will others wrong Thoughts others being given up to strong Delusion to believe a Lie others greatly mistaking Darkness for Light and then how great is that Darkness of theirs These can be no Proofs against the Infallibility of the Light it self nor of the Light within being fallible but of their own Transgression Disobedience and Rebellion against the Light Who know not the ways of the Light because they abide
Acceptance or Resentment with my Accuser than as no Contradiction to the Heart of Heresie but as still preserving it safe and untouch'd and which is worse a slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it Oh sad Stuff Whither will not Pride and Envy precipitate some Men What scripturally to confess Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures as above is this no Contradiction to Heresie But to preserve excuse or defend it What 's Heresie than pray Is it to confess Jesus Christ come in the Flesh c. according to holy Scripture-Testimony of him Oh! for shame leave off such blind Envy and blasphemous Abuse And now to come to the Point How or wherein have I slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it i. e. of the Heart of Hersie as before p. 244. Thus saith my Accuser in his first Article he confesses Jesus to be the Christ even the same Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem c. I confess this is part of my Confession but cannot believe this is either not contradictory to the Heart of Heresie or that it is any Excuse or Defence of it Nor that our confessing God or Christ to be our Light can be any such Excuse or Defence Neither do we attribute the Name Christ to any much less to every one of our selves as we are often falsly accused as here p. 245. Whence he also most unjustly infers That then this will appear that this Confession of Whitehead 's is a meer Fallacy while it attributes no more to Jesus Christ than to G. W. p. 245. Which is a very foul and absurd Falshood and notorious Lie in Fact and contradiction to my said Confession even so far as 't is cited by himself as before which is 1. We sincerely own profess and confess Jesus to be the Christ even the same Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem in Judea Mat. 2. suffered Death upon the Cross without the Gates of Jerusalem was quickened and raised again by the Power of God and ascended into Heaven and Glory according to the Scriptures Now have I herein attributed no more to Jesus Christ than to my self as he saith Where did I ever attribute this to my self Where 's the meer Fallacy Not in my Confession to Jesus Christ but in this horrid Abuse and gross Perversion thereof Did I ever say that I am Jesus Christ Or that I was born of the Virgin Mary Or that I suffered Death upon the Cross at Jerusalem c. Oh! for shame who cannot see such Malice and Madness as my Adversary has vented against me in this Matter Again I find no Fallacy in my Confession to Christ as without nor is there any unless I had denied the Virgin Mary of whom Christ was born to be without or Bethlehem and Judea and Jerusalem to be without us nor doth Christ being without prove him not to be our Light within for the same Christ said I am the Light of the World therefore he is our Light yea the Quakers Light as he calls it they being included in the World Does not the Sun shine in our Houses because the Body and Fulness of it is without them My Accuser quibbles and quarrels with Art 10. of my Confession viz. Our Ministers do not teach that the Name of Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body or Church as amply as to Christ the Head And here he leaves out all the following explanatory part of the Article as he calls it and scornfully descants upon the Word amply being in a different black Character lest quoth he you should mistake and think that George was Christ as amply as Jesus And then goes on scoffing That was modest indeed but then George thou art Christ as well as Jesus though not so amply Which is both a false Implication and foreign to my intention The word amply in that place was only used and intended in direct opposition to F. Bugg's falsly saying The Quakers teach That the Name Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body as amply as to Christ the Head New Rome Ar. p. 47. But even in the same 10 Art quoted against me I do not allow any Member to be called Christ but expresly dissallow it though I confess how Christians have some Interest in his Name but not to be called Jesus but Christians The explanatory part of my Confession in the said 10th Article disingenuously left out by this Scoffer is in these Words viz. But that the divine Anointing to which Name Christ hath relation virtually is in some measure or degree afforded to every Member of his Body but not so amply as to him the Head nor for any Member to be called Christ but a Christian because Christ received the Anointing the Holy Spirit not by measure but in fulness and because he is the Head of the Body the Church And this very Matter is more fully explain'd in my Charitable Essay in Answer to F. Bugg p. 4. as before It was far from my Thoughts or Intention to imply any such thing as That I am Christ as well as Jesus for I have often written my self A Servant-of Christ and so I am I humbly bless his Name that 's above every Name Therefore I am still very unjustly accused with rank Sophistry dodging and deluding and casting a Mist before the Eyes of poor deluded People or leading them into the Mystery of Iniquity or of any Equivocating or Jesuitical Confession of Faith as foully and unjustly accused p. 246 247. I have a Conscience towards God in what I confess and in good Conscience testifie That thou my scornful lurking Adversary hast cast manifold false and gross Defamations upon me and many others of my Christian Persuasion And in the true Sense of Scripture I have both confess'd Christ's coming in the Flesh and as he the Word was made or took Flesh Jo. 1. 14. And more than the Socinians I do still confess That as the reasonable Soul and Body is One Man so He that is God and Man is One Christ. And whether this will give Satisfaction to an implacable Adversary or no I value not knowing my Conscience clear in the Sight of him who judgeth righteously which I am sure this my unjust Judge and false Accuser is not who presently after he has stil'd me Honest George unjustly brands me with Infamy as Sophistry Delusion Depths of Satan Mystery of Iniquity Equivocation Jesuitical Confession c. Oh! rank Malice bitter Envy c. As for my Confession in the 7th Art alledged against me it stands good and true viz. We own no such saying as that the Holy Doctrin or Divine Precepts of Scripture is either Dust Death or the Serpent's Meat but truly profitable to us by the Assistance of God's Holy Spirit given to us c. And this was in direct opposition to F. Bugg's saying These Quakers who pretend to own the Precepts and Doctrin of the Bible to be holy
therefore Three Persons Another having given Aquinas his definition of a Person as being an individual Substance of a rational Nature which is neither the part of another nor upheld by another But now if they be not Three Beings nor Three Substences how well have these Men defended a principal Article of their Faith Seeing the Father the Word and Holy Ghost are owned by Christians to be One Being One Substance therefore not Three Beings nor Three Substances My speaking of Christ as the only begotten of the Father and for his Divinity as he was the Brightness of the Father's Glory and express Image of his divine Substance and thereupon questioning T. Danson where doth the Scripture say That his Soul was created This Question is no Determination that it was or was not Christ as God his Soul was increated As Man his Soul or Spirit was not the Deity but formed and assumed by the Word The Word or Son of God who made the Worlds was not a Creature because he made all Creatures Though he took upon him a most pure and perfect Soul and Body he took upon him the Seed of Abraham that he might in both Soul and Body suffer for Mankind and sympathize with us in bearing our Sorrows and carrying our Griefs and that his Soul might be in Travel for us and made an Offering for Sin and poured out unto Death Isa. 53. By my said Question I chiefly eyed his Divinity considering him as he proceeded and came out from God and as he was glorified with the Father before the World began Upon the whole my Adversary's Charge of Heresie upon me and the Quakers against the Incarnation of Christ p. 2. as also his Author G. Keith's publick Aspersions That G. W. disowns Christ to be God and denied him to be Man Narr p. 16. These are to tell the World That we own no Christ at all Wherein as they have both grosly wrong'd my Intention Principle and publick Testimony I am persuaded G. K. has wronged his own Conscience and that he must needs know the contrary of me in this and some other things for which he is accountable to the just God For by questioning the Words created or human Soul I did not thereby intend to deny Christ to be truly Man as is unduly insinuated against me p. 2. but rather to own That tho' Christ was truly Man in Soul and Body yet that his Soul was more divine than any other Mans or Mens and therefore he may be said to be a most divine Man and more of the divine and increated Life in his Soul than in any other Man's whatsoever and that therefore the word human as it relates to the Ground or Earth from which the Body of Man was taken I might suppose was too low or mean a Character or Epithite to give to the Soul of Christ or to his spiritual glorious Body either and I hope I deserve not blame in this while I was careful not to lessen the Glory or Dignity of the Son of God as he is the Lord from Heaven by not allowing him to be from beneath or Earthly either in Soul or Body in his glorified State and I am perswaded that some so much insisting upon the word Human Soul and Body of Christ gives the Socinians more advantage than my pleading for his Divinity and Heavenly glory both as God and Man To my Question to Robert Gordon I think there 's no real Cause for Offence to be taken at it if the Occasions ministred by him were Impartially taken notice of which they are not by this partial Adversary As R. G.'s great Ignorance both of the Light and Saving-work of Christ in Man excluding Christ's work of Salvation and Justification c. as all done and finished without Man even when no good is wrought in Man and pleading for Imperfection and Sin in Man in so much that Geo. Keith charged the said Gordon with 18 corrupt Doctrins and above 20 Lyes and false Accusations in the conclusion of my Book Entituled The Nature of Christianity in the true Light asserted Printed Anno 1671. And yet this officious Adversary takes his part excusing him in defence of G. Keith against us as he has done also in his Snake in the Grass which is such a piece of confused Mixture and Medley as I have seldom ever met withal My Question to R. Gordon as Cited Dost thou look for Christ as the Son of Mary to appear outwardly in a bodily Existence to save thee If thou dost thou mayest look until thy Eyes drop out before thou wilt see such an appearance of him And what proof is made of this against me But that I do not acknowledge that Christ has now the Body of a Man or will come in that Body to Judge the World Answ. Neither do I deny it If I do not acknowledge it in this Passage I do in many others namely that Christ as the Heavenly Man has his own proper glorious Body wherein he will come to Judge the World at the last day And therefore do not hold that Christ has no bodily Existence or being without us as G. K. accuseth me Narr p. 16. He wrongs me in this as in divers other things But upon R. Gordon 's pretending a perfect Justification and Redemption of Sinners without them when no good is wrought in them and yet granting that Christ's appearing the second time is without Sin to Salvation But then his deferring this till the Resurrection of the Body this I confess was so offensive to me that I put the said Question the reason whereof appears more at large in my said Answer Nature of Christianity p. 29. It being always my Judgment with many others that Salvation from Sin should be expected in this Life and Christ's second appearance for that end also mentioned Heb. 9. 28. That this ought not to be put off till the last day but expected even in this Life as in the Apostles days There were those then that looked for him to whom his appearance the second time without Sin unto Salvation was promised and the true Believers were not disappointed of their expectations in that weighty matter As many have been who have expected to see Christ's outward coming in Person with their carnal Eyes to save them Besides 't is true in Fact that those carnal Eyes of many fail them drop out or rot before they can see Christ's outward appearance or coming in the last day to Judgment And G. Keith himself as well as I have charged false and corrupt Doctrin upon Robert Gordon particularly in his asserting That Redemption Justification and Reconciliation is finished and compleated by what Christ did and suffered outwardly and not in our Persons and without the help of any thing to be wrought in us Artic. 6 8 12 of his Charge against Gordon Nature of Christianity p. 70 71 72. And why now I should be accused by G. Keith or his Advocate for the words before to