was to remove an Offence taken against my Friend J. P. for using the same And it would have become this Adversary to have forborn his blasphemous Scoffing at my Light as George if thy Light has hitherto forgot to tell thee I bless the Lord my God who is my Light Life and Salvation he has shewn me the new and living way of the New Covenant which our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ consecrated prepared or set open thro' the Veil that is to say his Flesh yea through his Sufferings and Death as being the Testator he hath enforced that New Testament or Second Covenant he took away the First that he might establish the Second and so hath open'd the Passage into eternal Life into the Holiest of Holies within the Veil and beyond all the Shadows and Veils under the Law It was in the most Holy Place within the Second Veil in the Tabernacle which was called the Holiest of all in the Old Covenant that the golden Censor and Ark of the Testament were put and the Golden Pot which had Manna and Aaron 's Rod that had budded and the Tables of the Testament and over the Ark the Cherubims of Glory shadowing the Mercy-Seat Heb. 9. Exod. 26. So the most excellent things were within the Veil tho' there was a Beauty and Glory also without it All which I doubt not were Shadows of the New Covenant and the Spiritual Dispensation thereof in Christ Jesus in whom the Most Holy Place of that Divine Service and Worship in the New Covenant-Sanctuary which the Lord has placed in the midst of his People is in the Spirit and in the Truth And all our Spiritual Blessings and Heavenly Treasures are in Christ Jesus who is our Sanctuary and Hiding-place And it is in the inmost or most inward and Spiritual Dispensation of the New Covenant that Mercy and Forgiveness is receiv'd and Christ most livingly and effectually known to us and enjoy'd and in him the most holy and heavenly Places wherein the true Spiritual Believers sit down with him and as being washed from their Sins in his Blood by his Spirit are his Church and Sanctuary also and thereby have boldness to enter into the Holy Place even by that new and living Way which Christ hath prepared for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh Heb. 10. that we may follow him therein into Heaven it self And what entrance through Christ our Mediator we have here in Measure received into this new and living Way and Holy and Heavenly Places in him we doubt not but it is to us an Earnest of a more full Enjoyment of Heaven and Glory hereafter with Christ Jesus our Fore-runner Leader and Captain of our Salvation we continuing faithful to the end in this his new and living Way as true and constant Followers of him God in his great Love and Wisdom has afforded several Dispensations one higher and more glorious than another in order to bring Man nearer and nearer to himself as that of the Law and of Shadows and Types that of the Prophets that of John the Baptist that of Christ in the Flesh and that of Christ in the Spirit and New Covenant which is higher more powerful and more glorious than the former and therein a more clear knowledge of Christ than in all the former wherein there was some Sight of him through Shadows and Veils but by his Divine Light shining in our Hearts God is pleased to give us the Light of the knowledge of his Glory in the Face of his dear Son Christ Jesus that we all with open Face as in a Glass may behold the Glory of God and be changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 and Ch. 4.6 7. Now tho' our Adversary has made a deal of Dispute and Quarrel with us about calling Christ's Flesh the Veil as in Heb. 10. yet he is fain to grant That Christ's Body is called a Veil in Relation to its Type the Veil of the Temple p. 182. but he 'll have this not to be in the Quakers Sense They call it a Veil that is saith he a Garment in contra-distinction to its being Christ's Substance and of his Nature Whereas it 's rather in contra-distinction to its Being his Divine Nature or to its Being in the first place or principally or chiefly Christ himself who is the Son of God for whom the Body was prepared because he did pre-exist it or was in Being before he took upon him that Body even in his Father's Glory before the World began wherewith he is Glorified However the Veil which was Christ's Flesh through which he set open the new and living Way we never deny to be Christ's Body or to be a real Body but own it was and never believed it be a Fantastical Body as I have often said but that Christ the Son of God took upon him real Flesh and Blood of our Nature yet pure and incorrupted in him And as his Flesh was called the Veil it answers its Type or Figure i. e. the Veil of the most Holy Place or Oracle where God gave Answers 1 Kings 6.20 and 8.6 8. and 2 Chron. 3.10 16. And these Most Holy Places in the Tabernacle and Temple being Places of Divine Service then peculiar to the High-Priest to enter into their Antitype is in Christ Jesus the New Covenant where in Spirit and in the Truth God is truely worshipped and meets with and speaks to his People even by Christ Jesus their High-Priest who is present in the midst of his Church and Assemblies of his People the true and Spiritual Worshippers who meet in his Name Spirit and Power whose Light and Truth brings its Followers unto his Holy Tabernacles Psal. 43.3 And as to Christ's Substance and Nature what does our Opposer mean thereby how has he distinguished in this Point Christ has in him a Divine Nature as well as that of Man which he hath also in the purest Sense But which is the greatest Is not the Divine Nature the Deity in him greater than the Manhood As he said My Father is greater than all greater than I John 10.29 Nevertheless as our great and only Mediator and Intercessor it was necessary he should be Man as he is the most glorious heavenly Man and as the Christ of God he is Spiritually in Us in the Saints and Members in some measure by his Spirit Light Life and Power even as the incorruptible immortal Seed in Man is of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and therein all true spiritual Believers do in measure partake of the Divine Nature being born again of this incorruptible Seed SECT XXIII Some Reflections by G. W. upon A Supplement pretended upon occasion of his Answer to the Snake in the Grass p. 343. THE very Entrance into the said Supplement consisting of divers Falshoods I need take the less notice thereof and spend the less time in its strict Examination besides
to withstand this his Day of Visitation in the reproofs and discoveries of this Light it must of necessity once come to pass as to the Jews that it will be hid from their eyes and in this final impenitency they will according to Isa. 5.20 call good evil and evil good and of such the Apostle testifies Ephes. 4.18 They are strangers from the life of God through the Ignorance that is in them because of the hardness of their hearts And that 2 Thess. 2.11 They are given over to strong Delusion to believe a lye because they received not the Love of the Truth that they should be saved But they were not given over to strong Delusion till they had refused the Truth and they could not refuse the Love of it unknowingly To the Second Quaere Whether a Man may sin while he follows the Light It may be safely answer'd no! Because it is affirmed by the Apostle Ephes. 5.9 The fruit of the Spirit or Light is in all goodness righteousness and truth And the Christians were advised to walk in the Light that they might become Children of it And if they are Children of it they must of necessity bring forth the fruits of it for that it is sufficient to make Men able so to do these Scriptures among many others testifie Luke 9.21 22. Phil. 4.14 2 Cor. 12.9 And as what is said herein is agreeable to the Gospel so it is not contrary to the Law Because as the Apostle testifies Acts 17.30 In the times of Ignorance God winked But now he willeth all men every where to repent And Heb. 7.19 Tho' under the Law which made nothing perfect there were expiatory Sacrifices for the Sins of Ignorance yet now there needeth not for as much as by the Gospel the bringing in of a better hope made perfect For the several Texts urged by our Adversary as Luke 23.24 where Christ speaking of those who crucified him saith They know not what they do It is no wonder they should be so stupidly blind when we consider the Testimony of Stephen concerning them Acts 7.51 Ye always resisted the Holy Ghost And in John 16.2 where Christ foretels his Disciples the time shall come that whosoever killeth you shall think they do God service But the Snake has left out the reason of that Ignorance which in the next verse as our Saviour says is Because they have not known my Father nor me The like curtailing of the Text the Snake hath practised with that of 2 Thess. 2.11 where he only quotes the words They should believe a lye but left out the reason of it which the Apostle says was because they received not the love of the Truth The Snake's Perversion of that Text Mat. 6.13 is very remarkable where he quotes That the Light which is in some Men is Darkness When our Saviour said no such thing But is here shewing of us How that by Sin and Evil Man becomes Darkned and that a continuance herein leads into great Darkness and thus words it If thine Eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of Darkness wherefore if the Light that is in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness The Eye is the Organ for Light That being blinded the whole Body is in Darkness so in the Mind with this addition of unhappiness that in this Blindness they think they see and therefore call good evil and evil good But our Saviour hath no where taught That tho' Men should fervently humbly and sincerely pray for the Gifts of his Grace Light or Spirit that it will still be so much a Guess so much in uncertainty as to be possible for these so sincerely seeking To take the Devil for God and his wicked Spirit and his bad Acts for the Holy Spirit and Innocent Life of Jesus Christ. No! It is a most abhorred imputation upon the Doctrine of our Saviour either to suppose it contradictory to it self or that he who according to Mat. 28.18 Has all power in Heaven and Earth given to him should yet be so short in his Power or in his Good Will that he hath not afforded to Man a most certain and infallible Guide to that Glory to which he calls him But further If herein Man can without a Crime be ignorant or disobedient The whole tenour of the Gospel is overthrown the New Covenant Joel 2.29 is of no force and we may with the Apostle in another case conclude 1 Cor. 15.14 Preaching is vain and Faith is vain For if the Light of Jesus Christ is not an Infallible Guide to Salvation Men are in utmost uncertainty of what concerns them most nearly viz. the Salvation of their Souls and are herein more at a Guess than they would care to be in the state of their Healths or the titles of their Estates But now if for Guide and Certainty for it is necessary Men should herein be certain he will turn us to the Holy Scriptures Traditions Councils Fathers Ordinances We shall find all of them declared even by Men of that Church this Snake says he is of such as are not void of uncertainty for that through ignorance iniquity and false pretences all these have been abused So that it remains of absolute necessity for all that would have an Infallible Guide to Salvation to attend the guidings of the Spirit of God which only can infallibly witness to their Spirits Rom. 8.16 thâ—â— they are the Children of God Ibid. p. 11. It would make one merry were therâ— not too much of tragedy in the miserable and distrâ—â—ctive error to see what pains G. Fox takes to strugglâ— from under this Objection If G. Fox's pains could make this Man merry the Priest's pains ought to make him laugh out because they were the greater of the two foâ— G. Fox hath answer'd 26 words of the Priests bâ— 25 of his own As for the Tragedy Misery anâ— Destruction which the Snake supposes in what hâ— calls our error there is nothing in it The Destructiâ—on c. will be eminently so to them that sell pretended Spiritual Ware and among them it will make havock for when Men come to feed upon that substantial Food John 6.35 48. The Bread of Life They will no longer give their Mony for that which is not Bread nor their labour for that which profitteth not Ibid. p. 11. He G. Fox repeats the Professor's objection against him in these words The Apostle Paul thought to do many things against the Church and thought he ought to do so and the Light within did not inform his Conscience To which G. Fox replies in these words did not Christ say that it was hard for him Paul to kick against that that prickt him and was not that within him that prickt him The Snake crys out against this Answer Ibid. p. 11. saying it is manifest perverting of Scripture when indeed the Answer is sound and true as appears by the verse immediately following Acts 9.6 And he trembling and astonished
and Substance with God as the Snake suggests But to proceed We have found the Snake biting off the Beginning and End of G. Fox's words in the former Quotation in the next place we shall find him false quoting him But here he is pleased to give the Priest's words truly as they stand p. 13. thus There is a kind of infiniteness in the Soul but it cannot be infiniteness in it self Against this G. Fox disputes And no kind of infiniteness will serve his turn but infiniteness in himself which is the Infiniteness of God alone For he only has Infinity in himself as not being given by any other Thus the Snake's Remark and now his Quotation Is not the Soul says G. Fox without Beginning Hath this a Beginning or Ending And is it not infinite in it self and more than all the World This the Snake gives for a Quotation from G. Fox's Great Mystery p. 90. when as by the following will appear they are only Sentences standing at considerable distance in that Book and packt together in his and being so packt by him are urged to prove what G. Fox never said The place in Great Mystery is thus Is not the Soul without Beginning coming from God returning unto God again who hath it in his hand Which hand goes against him that does evil which throws down that which wars against it And Christ the Power of God the Bishop of the Soul which brings it up into God which came out from him Hath this viz. the Power he means a Beginning or Ending And is not this viz. the Power as before infinite 〈◊〉 it self and more than all the World Thus G. Fox the meaning of whose words is no other than thus Christ the Power of God and Bishop of the Soul who can only bring the Soul into acceptance with God is infinite in his Power and greater than all the World which plain sense of the place is vastly different from the perversion of this Nibler The Snake's next Quotation in p. 14. He makes from Great Mystery p. 91. and gives it thus Christ brings the Soul up into God from whence it came whereby they come to be one Soul This like the Last is miserably false quoted The place in Great Mystery standing thus So every one being turned to the Light which Christ the Second Adam hath enlightned them withal they shall see Christ the Bishop of their Souls the Power of God which is immortal and brings the Immortal Soul in to the Immortal God Christ the Sanctification who sanctifies their Bodies and Spirits and brings the Soul up into from whence it came whereby they become one Soul Thus G. Fox who herein is very plain shewing how the Work of Regeneration is began and carried on till the Soul arrive at that Spiritual Marriage-Union and Oneness for which our Saviour prayed that the Saints might witness The Snake's next Quotation p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 229. Thus Who are come up into the Bishop Christ are one Soul To which he goes on and adds tho' cut off by this Snake They know the hand of God which the Soul lives in And it is doubtless very true for whosoever through obedience to the Holy Spirit comes to be one in Christ do certainly know his Power by which that Work is wrought and in which they live The Snake's next Quotation in p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 273. thus It is not horrid Blasphemy to say the Soul is a part of God for it came out of him and that which came out of him is of him Of this the Snake says Fox does not say that the Soul came from God that is God Created it But that it came of God as a part of God his Substance Person and Essence But it is very false for G. Fox does not so say nor does his words import more than that it is created by God and the Last words which next follow and which the Snake hath bit off do shew as much For G. Fox saith it rejoyceth in him and so certainly every regenerated Soul does But for further proof that G. Fox did not mean more or other than that the Soul was created and that such was his belief see in the same Book p. 337. where speaking of the Soul his words are these God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul who hath all Souls in his hand and the Soul is Immortal and Christ the Bishop of it is Immortal and God hath it in his hand which goeth against him that doth evil whose hand is Immortal But Man transgressing the Command of God the Soul lies in Death So Christ is the Bishop of the Souls and they that come to know Christ their Souls rejoice in God their Saviour Luke 1. Here G. Fox hath very fully and expresly declared his Judgment in words unexceptionable to the Cavils of the Snake and contrary to his false insinuations Now in that I have brought another Quotation in the same Book to put out of doubt G. Fox's meaning in the former I have herein used a rule which the Snake lays down p. 195. viz. To hear G. Fox explain himself in other places of the same Book The Snake's next Quotation p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 100. where he hath only taken these words which I take to be wrong printed of a passage Is not this of God's Being when in the Book it self it is thus And is not that which came out from God which God hath in his hand taken up into God again which Christ the Power of God is the Bishop of is not this Divine Life of the Soul of God's being By the context of which words it is plain G. Fox means no more than as is above observed from p. 337. The Snake's next Quotation p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 248. Whence the Snake does but not fully give the Priest's words which in that Book are these Priest It is a false thing to say Christ's Person is in Man To which the following answer at which the Snake cavils is made by G. Fox which is as much as to say None are of his Flesh or of his Bone nor eat it nor had his Substance From which words I think nothing is plainer than that the Answer is Scriptural and the sense of it Spiritual as see Ephes. 5.30 32. John 6.63 The Snake's next Quotation in p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 207. in which he hath not given the Priest's Words nor but part of G. Fox's Answer but I shall give both for the greater evidence of Truth Priest God hath a Christ distinct from all other beings whatsoever whether they be Spirits or Bodies G. Fox God's Christ is not distinct from his Saints nor their Bodies for he is within them nor distinct from their Spirits for their Spirits witness him And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself who is the head of every Creature and there is not
he makes Choise of to send forth and imploy in the work of the Ministry So they who are so sent forth have or may have if they diligently attend to the Voice of this Infallible Holy Spirit speaking in them a certain Infallible Knowledge and Assurance of the Truth of what they so deliver And they who hear have or may have if they duly attend to that measure or manifestation of this Infallible Holy Spirit which they have received a like certain Infallible Knowledge and Assurance of the Truth of what they hear But tho' they who so minister and they who so hear have or may have this Infallible Assistance Yet this Assistance continues no longer with any than they to whom it is so given do continue faithful to it and herein is one remarkable difference between the Law and the Gospel the Law in its Offices went by Succession to the several Ages of the People of the Jews and was not alienable from them but fulfill'd and so ended by Christ Thus the Office of the Priesthood descended in that Tribe in which it was appointed at the giving of the Law so that in the execution of their Office they had the benefit of the promises made to the Priesthood at that time tho' some of them were wicked Men an Instance whereof is John 11.51 in Caiphas of whom it is there said He spake not of himself but being High Priest that Year he prophesied But in the Gospel Dispensation it is not so the Gifts of the Holy Spirit not being limited either to Person or Office in the Church nor can Man witness any Union with it or infallible Assistance from it but through obedience to and perseverance both in the Principles which it teacheth and that Holiness of Life which it leads into This thus briefly stated will plainly and truly shew the Inquiring Reader the great difference between us and the Romanists in this great Article of Infallibility Ibid. p. 32. But the Simplicity of our Quakers has deprived them of every one of these helps The Quakers as I have now shewn have no need of those helps because their Simplicity is Godly Sincerity which had the Snake had he would not have bely'd us as he does in the following words Ibid. p. 32. For as they place Infallibility in every single Quaker so they confine it not to matters of Faith but extend it to all Persons and Things To know all Mens Hearts and all things in the World by their Inward Light without being told by any Which are Abominable Lyes and Slanders as will be further manifested in detecting his Perversions and other Abuses of those quotations which he makes from our Friends Books to prove this Assertion Under the second head the Snake makes divers quotations Ibid. p. 33. he quotes from Great Mystery this Objection of the Priest's That is another Error of the Quakers that say he who is not Infallible in his Judgment when he gives Counsel and Advice is no Minister of Christ. The Snake has fairly as above put the Objection but hath falsly quoted G. F's Answer which is truly thus Now he that is not Infallible in his Counsel and Judgment and Advice is not he in Error And are not the Ministers of Christ the Ministers of the Spirit And is not that out of the Error which is Infallible in Counsel and Judgment And are they Ministers of Christ that are fallible And is not the Power the Gospel Infallible Which is briefly thus The Ministers of Christ ministring from the Gospel the Power of God which is Infallible are in such their Ministry Infallible This every Eye not blinded with Prejudice and Envy may by the context perceive to be the sense of the place But this Adversary hath here given a fair mark of his Prejudice and Envy in that he would rather false quote G. F's words by leaving out sentences in the middle of the Quotation than by setting it fairly down let it speak for it self Which practice of the Snake is base and cowardly as well as unchristian He hath posted himself Knight Errant like to Demand Reparation in the name of the Church of England And from this assumed Post he descends to call G. F. Valpoon one of poor Vnderstanding c. yet meanly and in very poor Manner false quotes his Books that he may be sure of a Triumph plainly enough intimating that G. F's words are sound till he has mangled them and which being restored do plainly shew that the Infallibility of which G. F. speaks is that of the Holy Spirit from which Holy Spirit so far as any do Minister so far and no farther are they Infallible in their Ministry Ibid. p. 33. quoted from Great Mystery p. 89. They can discern who are Saints who are Devils and who Apostates without speaking ever a word Tho' the Snake injuriously stop here G. F. goes on and in his next words shews who they be that can do so They that be in the Power and the Life of Truth Which does very plainly shew that G. F. did not attribute this Knowledge or Discerning to the Quakers or any Man but to the Power and Life of Truth where it is manifested And if the Snake will take upon him in his own name or others to deny and disown that any of the Church of England have the word of God or Christ in their Hearts or will say that Christ is not Eternal Infallible and Able to Judge of Persons or things which is the Doctrine that he opposes let him do it in plain terms Ibid. p. 33. quoted from Great Mystery p. 96. Thou not being Infallible thou art not in the Spirit and so art not a Minister and art not able to Judge of Powers that is not Infallible nor Magistrates nor Kingdoms nor Churches Here as I have just now observed the Snake breaks off too soon having purposely left out the very next following words which are these For who is in the Infallible Spirit is in the Spirit that Christ was in c. which words do very fully shew wherein the Infallibility of the true Ministry does stand And do as fully shew the injustice of this Adversary in the curtailing of them Ibid. p. 34. Quoted from p. 7. of E. B's Preface to Great Mystery The Snake says That E. B. says this Infallible Spirit was given to every one and then thus quotes him To us says he every one of us in particular And this Light gave us between Truth and Error and between every false and right way and it perfectly discover'd to us the true state of all things The Snake in this Quotation has treacherously abused and mangled E. B's Words and perverted his Sense I will desire the Reader 's patience to read what I have transcribed from E. B. his clear sense and true Gospel Doctrine will I hope answer the pains thou shalt be at in doing it And for the detection of the Snake in this his nibling practice I will
distinguish what he has taken as above in a different Character Pref. p. 7. of Great Mystery First The Lord brought us by his Power and Wisdom and the Word by which all Things were made to know and understand and see perfectly that God had given to us every one of us in particular a Light from himself shining in our Hearts and Consciences which Light Christ his Son the Saviour of the World had lighted every Man and all Mankind withal which Light in us we found sufficient to reprove us and convince us of every evil Deed Word and Thought and by it in us we come to know Good from Evil Right from Wrong and whatsoever is of God and according to him from what is of the Devil and what is contrary to God in Motion Word and Work And this Light gave us to discern between Truth and Error between every False and Right Way and it perfectly discovered to us the true state of all things And we thereby came to know Man what he was in his Creation before Transgression and how he was deceived and overcome by the Devil and his estate in Transgression and in Disobedience And how he is drove and banished from the presence of the Lord and the Sorrow and Anguish which he is in and to undergo And also by the Light in us we perfectly came to know the way of Restauration and the means to be restored and the state of Man being come out of Transgression and restored These things to us were revealed by the Light within us which Christ had given us and Lightned us withal What Man was before Transgression and what he is in Transgression and what he is being redeemed out of Transgression and also the Light which shined in every one of us as to it our Minds became turned and our Hearts inclined the perfect estate of the Church we came to know Her estate before the Apostles days and in the Apostles days and since the days of the Apostles And her present state we found to be as a Woman who had once been clothed with the Sun and the Moon under her Feet who brought forth him that was to rule the Nations but She was fled into the Wilderness and there sitting desolate in her place that was prepared of God for such a season which season in the very end thereof when the time of her sojourning was towards a full end then were we brought forth If any have an Ear they may hear So that all these things concerning Man and concerning the Times and Seasons and the changing and renewing of Times and all things that pertain to Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life needful for Man to know ALL THIS WAS discover'd revealed and made known to us by the Light that was in us which Christ had lighted us withal Thus E. B. The Snake's next Quotation is from E. B's Works p. 862. and his quotation is thus Every true Member of the Church hath certainty and infallibility of Judgment and discerning who are out of the Truth and in the way of Error and are Hereticks In this as in the last he hath abusively mangled E. B's words which are these Every true Member of the true Church hath its particular Measure of the Infallible Spirit of Christ whereby he is certainly persuaded of the way of Truth in which he walks and knows and believes the Infallibility of the Truth he professes and is certain and secure of the way of his Peace and Assurance in God which he hath received and believed and hath also certainty and infallibility of Judgment and discerning who are out of the Truth and in the way of Error and are Hereticks Such are infallibly known and discerned by the Spirit of God in the true Church of Christ. See here Reader the great perversion of words sound as can be deliver'd and which I dare the Snake to deny if he can for if he does he must of necessity thro' away all that Enthusiasm to which he says the Church in her Offices does pretend Ibid. p. 34. Quoted from E. B's Works p. 861 862. So both the Law-makers and the Judges of the Law must be infallible in Knowledge and Judgment in this case of Heresie otherwise the Law made for that purpose and the Judgment given by that Law are both false and unjust and not according to God and his Truth but are to be justly Judged and Condemn'd of the Lord God in his day and season This the Snake says dissolves our Laws Damns the Law-makers and infers necessarily the Quakers Opinion of their own Infallibility To this Charge let the Snake himself answer whether or no his refusing Swearing Obedience to the Present Government dissolves the Law which requires it of him Damns the Makers of that Law and does infer an Opinion of his own Infallibility Ibid. p. 35. Quoted from E. B's Works p. 198. where I have look'd for the words quoted by the Snake but find no such if he be mistaken in the page when that is rectified it may be answered Ibid. p. 35. Quoted from Great Mystery p. 107. Thou sayst that the Holiest Man is not able to give an Infallible Character of another Man Hast thou not in this discovered thy self to be no Minister of Christ or of the Spirit who cannot give an Infallible Character of another Man how canst thou minister to his Condition How canst thou see them that be turned from the Darkness and that be in the Darkness and distinguish the one from the other and an Holy Man from an Vnholy Man that canst not give an Infallible Character of any Man's Estate Ibid. p. 36. Quoted from Great Mystery p. 94. Have you given your selves a Name of a Church of Christ and is there not a Spirit of Discerning among you have you not manifested there that you are Harlotted from the Church of Christ the Apostles were of and how can you minister or teach People if ye do not discern their estates how they stand before God how can you commend your selves to every Man's Conscience in God's sight How can ye present the Souls of Men to God and see not their states how they are in his Sight How came ye to have fellowship in the Spirit How can you or any minister to the state and condition that people be in and see where they are and doth not see how they stand in God's sight From these two long Quotations he draws two Inferences or Conclusions which I will briefly repeat and then reply to them Here the Quakers have excluded all from the Church of Christ from having any fellowship in the Spirit who have not this Infallible Spirit of Discerning every Man's Heart Secodly It is evident they did not discern Keith and Bugg whom for many years they own'd as true Quakers thought them principal Pillars whom now they vilifie as Apostates Therefore by their own Argument all the Quakers are Harlotted from the Church of Christ have no fellowship in the
Spirit because none of them had this Spirit of Discerning To the first That all are excluded c. Every Member of the Church of Christ must necessarily have a measure of the Spirit of Christ else they are none of his Rom. 8.9 And this Spirit of Christ the Holy Ghost as in its fulness it is Infallible so every even the least measure or manifestation of it is Infallible To the second This Infallible Holy Spirit being of the THREE in the Godhead searcheth the Heart and trieth the Reins Jer. 17.10 But tho' this Holy Spirit can discover unto one the Heart and Thoughts of another as of Ananias to Peter Act. 5. Yet as that is not usual so neither is it necessary nor is it that which we pretend to nor hath G. Fox in the fore-quoted places pretended to it But that which G. Fox means and which we pretend to is That such who minister in and by that Holy Spirit which hath an Infallible Discerning of the Hearts and States of all the Persons ministred to This Holy Spirit doth direct the ministry accordingly that it may be suitable to the states of the Auditory Which they who pretend not to be led guided and assisted by that Infallible Holy Spirit in their Ministry cannot pretend to And as to his Objections that the Quakers did not discern G. Keith F. Bugg and other wicked Apostates There was a time when those Men I in Charity think were truly Quakers as they pretended and to have discerned them Apostates before they were such had not been true discerning There was a time when Demas walked with Paul was owned by Paul to be a Fellow-Labourer with him in the Gospel Col. 4.14 Phil. 2.4 There was a time when through the Love of the World he forsook the Apostles 2 Tim. 4.10 so I may say of these and others there was a time when they walked with us and now is the time when through the Love of the World and other things they are departed and fallen from that Unity and Fellowship they once had with us Ibid. p. 37. quoted from Great Mystery p. 105. We says he the Pope and you the Protestants whom he calls Professors are apostatized from the Infallible Spirit that the Apostles was in in which we are come For who witness these conditions that they were in that gave forth the Scriptures they witness Infallibility an Infallible Spirit which is now possessed and witnessed among those called Quakers Glory to the Highest for ever I shall first detect the Snake's base practice of mangling this as other places by setting down G. F's words as they lie in that Book and then shew plainly their Scriptural meaning The first viz. the Quotation And we say the Pope is not Infallible neither though he be your Father the Ancient Yet we say he and you are Apostatized from the Infallible Spirit that the Apostles was in in which we are come with which ye are seen and judged so not to have the Spirit of Christ Jesus not to have the Spirit of the Prophets and Apostles not to be led by the Spirit of Truth into all Truth not to be in the Spirit not to speak as ye are moved of the Holy Ghost But to be such as ravened from the Spirit of God inwardly and have gotten the Sheeps Cloathing ye and the Pope and so have devoured Nations for this many hundred years so have all been like ravening Wolves For who witness these conditions that they were in that gave forth the Scriptures they witness Infallibility an Infallible Spirit which is now possessed and witnessed among those called Quakers Glory to the Highest for ever This the Snake says Ibid. p. 37. Is Dreadfully Astonishing but gives no reason why it is so but that his practice is astonishing there are several reasons to prove it First In so basely picking and mangling Books that they may thereby be suborned to speak what the Writer never intended Next In his wilful perverting the plain and known sense which they carry and which their Writers had And upon Sober Inquiry what in this can be astonishing That the Pope is not Infallible I suppose the Snake will allow And that the Spirit of Truth doth see and judge such who apostatize from it the Scriptures teach And if the Snake doth account it astonishing that the Quakers should possess and witness according to Holy Writ the manifestation of the Holy and Infallible Spirit of Christ he shews his Ignorance therein tho' all who are truly sensible of these manifestations can in deep Humility of Soul give Glory to the Highest Yet to him must be applied that of Hab. 1.5 For it is a Work that God hath wrought in this day whether he will believe it or not Hitherto Reader pray Observe that tho' the Snake as quoted p. 88. foregoing hath said we placed Infallibility in every single Quaker confine it not to Faith but extend it to all Persons and Things in the World by their inward Light Yet the Charge is notoriously false and that the colourable pretence which he had for this his false assertion was owing to his own false quoting curtailing and mangling of our Books of which I have shewn eminent instances since that assertion of his in p. 88. And that our Books in the instances produced speak according to Scripture I shall leave with the Impartial Reader to Judge only adding that the Forms of Speech Try all things Teach all things Know all things and Judge all things which are frequently found in the New Testament cannot without great perversion be applied otherwise than to that Trying Teaching Knowing and Judging which are the proper effects of the Operations of the Holy Spirit in the Hearts of all that are obedient to it And that in order first to their own Salvation and then to the Service of God in his Church In this sense G. F. E. B. and others have used these Forms of Speech in this sense the Woman of Samaria testifies of the Messias our Saviour John 4.25 He will teach us all things In this sense our Saviour promised John 14.26 That the Holy Ghost should teach us all things In this sense John the Beloved Disciple testifies of the Believers 1 John 2.20 Ye know all things And in this sense the Apostle testifies of the Spiritual Man 1 Cor. 2.10 He judgeth all things And in this sense the Beloved Disciple 1 John 4.1 adviseth to try the Spirits whether they be of God Now these forms of Speech in these and many more places all things are truly as E. B. p. 137. foregoing hath said All things that pertain to Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life needful for Man to know all this was discovered revealed and made known to us by the Light which was in us which Christ had Lighted us withal Ibid. p. 37. But I was much more surprized to find the otherwise Ingenious Mr. Penn laugh at his Adversary for not being Infallible It is no surprise to find
And that to this Holy Spirit Wicked Men and Devils are disobedient yet still have such degrees of Knowledge which are the proper Distinction of their Being Ibid. p. 39. Sometimes it makes them as Infallible as the Apostles nay as Christ himself But at other times when they are pressed they bring down this Infallibility to mean nothing in the World that does distinguish them from other Men. It is utterly false no Quaker hath said he was as Infallible as the Apostles or Christ himself I demand an Instance But without pressing we have often said that a Manifestation of the Light and Infallible Spirit or Grace is 1 Cor. 12.7 given to every Man to profit withal without distinction That which makes the Distinction is Obedience to it By this it was Paul could say 1 Cor. 15.10 By the Grace of God I am what I am and by the same Grace we say we are what we are Ibid. p. 40. But this will no more prove it to be Infallible or sufficient of it self to bring us to Heaven than it will follow that Man cannot die because God breathed into him the Breath of Life or that he is omnipotent because his strength comes from God That the Holy Spirit is Infallible and sufficient for the purposes for which God hath given to Men manifestations of it is very certain from the testimony of God himself 2 Cor. 12.9 My Grace is sufficient for thee But it follows not from this that Man cannot Die or that he is omnipotent because his Life and Strength came from God God hath been pleased to give to Men such Natural Powers as are agreeable to the Nature of their Humane Being And these Natural Powers being employed according to that Great Law of Order in which we stand in the Creation we may act in them our appointed time But the Principles of our Humane Being being finite their power to act is the same and must come to an end With Spirits It is otherwise They are more simple and uncompounded Beings therefore of eternal Duration And the God of the Spirits of all Flesh in Infinite Compassion when Man had forfeited his Title to Happiness to us that this Eternal Duration might be in happiness gave the Son of his Love that we who were afar off might be reconciled to himself which cannot be but as the Spirit of Man which hath rebelled and been in Disobedience comes by the Operation of the Spirit of God upon it to be restored into obedience to its Guidings Which if he will be in the day of his Visitation That Grace and Truth which comes by Jesus Christ will sufficiently and infallibly lead him into Reconciliation with God from whom through disobedience he was fallen And this is not as the Snake says p. 41. Derogatory to the Satisfaction paid by Christ for our Sins But on the contrary places the true value upon it It being that by which we are put into a capacity of being reconciled and not by any power of our own And when the Apostle bids Phil. 2.12 To work out our own Salvation We never understood it otherwise than by the assistance of that Grace which comes by Jesus Christ to Men during the day of their visitation Ibid. p. 41. That does not make the Light within the efficient cause of our Salvation or give it any Title to Infallibility more than vers 13. of the 4th Chap. in the same Epistle can entitle us to Omnipotence because St. Paul says there I can do all things That Christ in his Spiritual Appearance the Light within is the Efficient cause of our Salvation I need not give a greater proof than this same 13th vers which the Snake has quoted For there the Apostle Phil. 4.13 says I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me that is all things relating to his Ministry as an Apostle or his Duty as a Christian. I come now to the Snake's 4th Head of Distinction which is little more than Profane and Scornful Banter after the first Paragraph p. 41. But if any could pretend to Infallibilty They will be found to have the best title to whom the Quakers would most unwillingly grant it For it is written Prov. 16.10 A Divine Sentence is in the Lip of the King and his Mouth transgresseth not in Judgment Why then does the Snake deny that best Title and not obey that Divine Sentence which confirmed the present Government Why would he flee the Judgment of a Mouth which transgresseth not in Judgment By fleeing and denying he loudly proclaims his unwillingness to grant it But as for us we do not unwillingly but readily grant That God is ready to supply Kings with Wisdom and Justice suitable to their High Station for the good of themselves and those they govern if they in humility will receive it But as with God there is no respect of persons so we do as readily grant That God by his Spirit does as infallibly teach the Governed in their private capacities all that is necessary to their Salvation if they will but attend and learn Ibid. p. 42. Do you think that the Quakers infallibility is limited to speaking only They can make an Infallible Judgment of Men's Hearts and tell who are Saints and who are Devils by very winks and glances At the first glance and so throughout this appears to be a very Lye for no Quaker hath so said But we do say that such who be in the Power and Life of Truth can discern between Saints and Devils for all true Spiritual Discerning is in the Holy Spirit Not but that there often are exteriour marks of inward wickedness Hence Gen. 4.5 When Cain was very wroth his Countenance fell Hence David saith Psal. 10.4 The wicked through the pride of his Countenance will not seek after God And the Prophet Isaiah chap. 3.9 The shew of their Countenance doth witness against them and in the 16th vers the Lord numbers up among the exterior marks of inward wickedness wanton Eyes mincing and tinkling with their Feet Yet these exterior infallible marks as they have been declared by God himself is in the language of this Profane Adversary p. 43. Dwindled down to a meer Gypsie a paultry Fortune-teller to nothing but a little skill in Physiognomy Reader Is it possible for one who so profanely ridicules both the Inward Discerning and the Outward Marks of Secret Iniquity to advance the great end of good Life and Conversation No such ridiculing is in direct opposition to them and is distructive to Exemplary Modesty how great soever his pretence may be of love to Souls I come now to his Fifth Head of Distinction of divers Stories of particular Failings which he brings in opposition to that Infallibility I have so largely spoken of which Plea the Snake says p. 48. leads us naturally into this sort of Redargution Though here as before he is altogether out For tho' to give a Man a Fall is it 's true a plain Conviction
that he is not Almighty Yet when Man does fall it is no plain Conviction that he could not have stood by an Almighty assistance We have never placed Infallibility in Persons otherwise than by the assistance of the Holy Spirit to which if Men are obedient it will infallibly guide them to Heaven and so safely protect them that as our Saviour saith John 10.29 No Man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand But when Men depart from the Grace of God They may as Samson when he had lost his Strength Judg. 16.20 say I will go out as at other times and shake my self And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him But their weakness will soon discover they are gone from their Guide Thus it was with the People of the Jews and thus with all those Persons whose failings the Holy Spirit has recorded in the Scriptures when they departed from the Lord they left their Strength and fell some very fouly Yet what less than Blasphemy is it to say That the Holy Spirit had they been obedient could not have preserved them as well as there are Instances it did restore several of them And it is no breach of the Oath of God made to Abraham and his Seed nor any argument of the Shortness of his Arm as the Prophet's phrase is That they are become a Desolation because they refused to hear and obey And should it which God forbid come to pass that the Defection of the People called Quakers from the guidings of the Holy Spirit should be as general as is now that of the Jews who sometime were the People of God Yet the Holy Spirit of Christ were not at all the less infallible or sufficient in it self to be the Author of Salvation to all that do obey it His first Story p. 44. is of one Christopher Atkinson who he calls in ridicule p. 43. a Precious Brother in p. 44. a Bright Lamp with other such marks of Scorn insulting over his Miscarriage in the Lust of the Flesh And this Story the Snake makes a twofold use of one to reproach the Memory of the Person who fell and the other to reproach the Principle and Practices of those with whom the fallen Person had walked To both I shall say somewhat To the first I know of no good use which can be made of raking in the Crimes of the Deceased unless for Cautions to the Living But then their Crimes are not to be dressed in the Scornful Garb of a merry Andrew Because tho' that may raise more Vanity yet it can raise no Reformation on such as are guilty or be any means of Preservation to those that are not yet so And therefore we find that the Holy Spirit in recording the failings of Noah Lot Moses David Solomon Peter and others hath done it in Language proper to these purposes And there is not a truer mark of a mean and base as well as an unchristian Spirit in a Man than only for the Glory of Insult and Liberty of Ridiculing to call back to the minds of the Living the Crimes of the Dead To the Second it can be no fault in the Holy Spirit of God that Men are disobedient to it nor is it any argument that the Infallible Spirit of God does not preserve any because I or another may fall but it is certain the Holy Spirit will teach and will preserve all who will keep in Subjection and Obedience to it and they who do so keep have a Godly Jealousie and Care that the Practice of those who make Profession of the Guidings of the Holy Spirit be according to it in all the Fruits of it and accordingly Richard Huberthorn and some others who were then at Norwich did wait for the Counsel of God that in his Wisdom they might search out this evil which C. A. had wrought and by their dealing with him did bring him so to a sense of his Naughtiness that he did confess it and condemn it And further that it might not be supposed that such Naughtiness was tolerated and allowed by a Society professing Christianity it was communicated to the Publick that the guilty Person might bear his own Iniquity and the Holy Truth he had made profession of be cleared The like Laudable Practice tho' call'd by the Snake p. 45. A not regarding the Sacredness of the Seal of Confession was practised by the Prophet Nathan towards King David and the Apostle Paul towards his Brother in the Apostleship and also by others recorded in Holy Writ and yet the Holy Spirit is not at all the less Infallible Ibid. p. 46 47. There was much 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 and giving them these appellations Innocent Lasses and Daughters of Sion This Charge and Story upon nameless Persons is Reader another Instance of the Injustice of this Adversary in that he hath taken it out of a Book written against us and Printed Anno 1673. and which was answered in the same Year as the Snake well knows and hath not been since reply'd to and what is an aggravation of the Snake's Injustice herein is that in the Answer to it there is a Certificate under the hands of John Bolton and Sam. Newton testifying to the contrary of this very Charge and of this the Snake could not be ignorant because he makes Quotations from the same Book and in or near the same Page in which this Certificate stands which I shall here set down as answer sufficient to this nameless Charge Whereas the Author of the Spirit of the Hat Insinuates that our Ministry is guilty of Vncleanness Whoredoms and such like beastly Practices under a feigned commendation of us under written as prosecutors of such Persons that they may be brought to Judgment We do declare in the Fear of the Everlasting God that tho' we abhor with our whole Souls such unrighteous Practices and if such things were we should we hope clear our Consciences for God and His Living Truth and People Yet we do declare in the Uprightness of our Hearts that we know of no such nor can acknowledge any such to be either of our Ministry or our Body much less eminent among us as hath been wickedly suggested by the Author of The Spirit of the Hat whom we have found painful and faithful to God his Truth and People Therefore to say we were hindred from bringing them to Judgment whom we never went about to charge neither can we is a wicked envious and false suggestion of the Adversaries of the Truth and this in God's Fear we testify to the World John Bolton Sam. Newton Ibid. p. 47. Instances can likewise be given of some of their She Preachers whom they call
travelling Friends that went abroad c. It is not good manners to name Names upon such an occasion Yet if the Friends will plead Ignorance something may be done for their Satisfaction That Women as well as Men may forsake the Guidings of the Spirit of God and run into Wickedness is very true but that any who have so run into Wickedness are Preachers or as such Travelling Friends as he in scoffing Mood calls them and intimates is very false and I dare him to name any that are such I come now to his 6th Head of Distinction which is a continuation of Stories of particular Failings VI. But we may make a little more bold with the Mens Infallibility And I will not go to mean Ones The Great James Naylor was brought upon his knees before their Church where G. F. presided to acknowledge his Failings This James Naylor suffered himself to be Hosannah'd into Bristol as Christ was into Jerusalem Of this Adversaries Boldness and Scoffing we have great Proof but of his Honesty and Truth we have none of his Lyes here is also fresh Proof For it never was the Practice of any Church or Meeting of ours to bring any Transgressor upon their knees nor did G. F. ever preside in them or any other Person We neither have nor own in our Assemblies any Headship of Man or Men the only Head of them being Christ Jesus who dignifies whom he pleases with fit qualifications by his Holy Spirit for the Service of his Church and they that continue faithful in their Gifts such we with the Apostle esteem worthy of double Honour But now as to James Naylor of whom the Snake often makes mention I shall here at once speak concerning him J. N. was a Man who had been highly favoured of God with a good degree of Grace which was sufficient for him had he kept to its teachings For while he did so he was exemplary in Godliness and great Humility was Powerful in Word and Doctrine and thereby Instrumental in the hand of God for turning many from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God But he Poor Man Became exalted above Measure through the abundance of Revelations And in that Exaltation did depart from the Grace and Holy Spirit of God which had been his sufficient Teacher Then blindness came over him and he did suffer himself to be accounted of above what he ought Here he slipt and fell but not Irrecoverably For it did please God of his Infinite Mercy in the Day of his Affliction to give him a sight and sense of his outgoings and fall and also a place of Repentance And he did with the Prodigal weep bitterly and humbled himself for his Transgression and he besought God with true Contrition of Soul to pardon his offences through Jesus Christ God I firmly believe forgave him for he pardons the truly Penitent His People received him with great Joy for that he who had gone astray from God was now returned to the Father's House and for that he who had separated himself from them through his Iniquity was now through Repentance and Forsaking of it returned into the Unity of the Faith and their Holy Fellowship in the Gospel of Christ. And I do hereby testify that I do esteem it a particular mark of God's owning his People in bringing back into Unity with them a Man who had so dangerously fallen as did James Naylor And here let none Insult but take heed least they also in the hour of their Temptation do fall away Nor let any boastingly say Where is your God Or Blasphemously suppose his Grace is not sufficient for Men in Temptation because the tempted may go from and neglect the teachings of it David and Peter as their Transgressions came by their departing from this Infallible Guide the Holy Spirit So their recovery was only by it And for the Reader 's further satisfaction concerning James Naylor's Humiliation and Repentance I here subjoin his own Testimony Glory to God Almighty who ruleth in the Heavens and in whose Hands are all the Kingdoms of the Earth who raiseth up and casteth down at his Will who hath ways to Confound the Exaltation of Man and to Chastise his Children and to make Man to know himself to be as Grass before him whose Judgments are above the highest of Men and his pity reacheth the deepest Misery and thâ—s Arm of his Mercy is underneath to lift up the Prisoner out of the Pit and to save such as trust in him from the great Destruction which vain Man through his folly brings upon himself who hath delivered my Soul from Darkness and made way for my Freedom out of the Prison-house and ransomed me from the great Captivity who divides the Sea before him and removes the Mountains out of his way in the day when he takes upon him to deliver the Oppressed out of the Hand of him that is too mighty for him in the Earth let his Name be exalted for ever and let all Flesh fear before him whose Breath is Life to his own but a Consuming Fire to the Adversary And to the Lord Jesus Christ be Everlasting Dominion upon Earth and his Kingdom above all the Powers of Darkness even that Christ of whom the Scriptures declares which was and is and is to come the Light of the World to all Generations Of whose coming I testifie with the rest of the Children of Light begotten of the Immortal Seed whose Truth and Vertue now shines in the World unto Righteousness of Eternal Life And the Saviour of all that believe therein Who hath been the Rock of my Salvation and his Spirit hath given Quietness and Patience to my Soul in Deep Affliction even for his Name 's sake Praises for ever But condemned for ever be all those False Worships with which any have Idolized my Person in the Night of my Temptation when the Power of Darkness was above all their casting of their Clothes in the way their Bowings and Singings and all the rest of those Wild Actions which did any ways tend to dishonour the Lord or draw the Minds of any from the measure of Christ Jesus in themselves to look at Flesh which is Grass or to ascribe that to the Visible which belongs to Christ Jesus all that I condemn by which the pure Name of the Lord hath been any ways blasphemed through me in the time of Temptation or the Spirits of any People grieved that truly loves the Lord Jesus throughout the whole World of what state soever This Offence I confess which hath been sorrow of heart that the Enemy of Man's Peace in Christ should get this Advantage in the Night of my Trial to stir up Wrath and Offences in the Creation of God a thing the simplicity of my Heart did not intend the Lord knows who in his endless Love hath given me Power over it to condemn it and also that Letter which was sent me to Exeter by John
Stranger when I was in Prison with these words Thy Name shall be no more James Naylor but Jesus This I judge to be written from the Imaginations and a Fear stroke me when I first saw it and so I put it in my Pocket close not intending any should see it which they finding on me spread it abroad which the simplicity of my Heart never occasioned So this I deny also that the Name of Christ Jesus is received instead of James Naylor or after the Flesh for the Name is to the Seed to all Generations and he that hath the Son hath the Name which is Life and Power the Salvation and the Unction into the which Name all the Children of Light are Baptized So the Name of Christ I confess before Men but not according to Men which Name to me hath been a Strong Tower in the Night and in the Day And this is the Name of Christ Jesus which I confess the Son and the Lamb in the Seed where he speaks in Male or Female but who hath not this in himself hath not Life neither can have by Idolizing my Person or the Person of any Flesh but in whom the Heir is born and hath spoken or doth speak there he must not be denied the Mouth to spake by who is Head over all and in all his own God blessed for ever And all those Ranting Wild Spirits which then gathered about me in that time of Darkness and all their Wild Actions and Wicked Words against the Honour of God and his pure Spirit and People I deny the Spirit the Power and the Works thereof and as far as I gave advantage through want of Judgment for that Evil Spirit in any to arise I take shame to my self justly having formerly had Power over that Spirit in Judgment and Discerning where-ever it was which Darkness came over me through want of Watchfulness and Obedience to the Pure Eye of God and diligently minding the Reproof of Life which condemns the Adulterous Spirit So the Adversary got advantage who ceases not to seek to devour and being taken Captive from the True Light walked in the Night where none can work as a wandring Bird fit for the prey And if the Lord of all my Mercies had not rescued me I had perished for I was as one appointed to Death and Destruction and there was none could deliver me And this I confess that God may be justified in his Judgment and magnified in his Mercies without end who did not forsake his Captive in the Night even when his Spirit was daily provoked and grieved but hath brought me forth to give Glory to his Name for ever And it is in my Heart to confess to God and before Men my Folly and Offence in that day Yet was there many things formed against me in that day to take away my Life and bring Scandal upon the Truth of which I am not Guilty at all as that accusation as if I had committed Adultery with some of those Women who came with us from Exeter Prison and also those who were with me at Bristol the Night before I suffered there of both which Accusations I am clear before God who kept me at that day both in Thought and Deed as to all Women as a little Child God is my Record and this I mention in Particular hearing of some who still cease not to reproach therewith God's Truth and People that the Mouth of Enmity might be shut from evil speaking though this touch not my Conscience And that Report as though I had raised Dorkas Erbury from the Dead carnally this I deny also and condemn that Testimony to be out of the Truth tho' that Power that quickens the Dead I deny not which is the Word of Eternal Life And this I give forth that it may go as far as the Offence against the Spirit of Truth hath gone abroad that all Burthens may be taken off with the Truth and the Truth cleared thereby and the True Light and all that walk therein and the Deeds of Darkness be condemned and that all that are in Darkness may not Act in the Night but stay upon God who walks in the Light who with the Workers of Iniquity hath not fellowship which had I done when first Darkness came upon me and not been led by others I had not run against the Rock to be broken which so long had born me and of whom I had so largely drank and of which I now drink in measure to whom be the glory of all and to him must every Tongue confess as Judge and Saviour God over all blessed for ever And this further is given me to say to every particular Person to whom this Writing shall come Whatever is thy Condition walk in the Light which lets thee see it there is thy Counsel and thy strength to be received to stay thee and recover thee Art thou tempted to Sin Abide in that which lets thee see it that there thou mayst come to feed on the Right Body not on the Temptation for if thou mind the Temptation it will overcome thee but in the Light is Salvation Or having Sinned art thou tempted to despair or to destroy thy self mind not the Temptation for it's Death that Sin hath brought forth feed not on it nor mind it least thou eat Condemnation for that 's the Wrong Body The Body of Christ is felt in the Light in which is Life from Death Grace and Truth to Feed on which will overcome for thee being followed but if thou follow the Temptation Fear and Condemnation will swallow thee up If there appear to thee Voices Visions and Revelations feed not thereon but abide in the Light and feel the Body of Christ and there wilt thou receive Faith and Power to judge of every appearance and Spirit the Good to hold fast and obey and the False to resist Art thou in Darkness mind it not for if thou do it will fill thee more but stand still and Act not and wait in patience till Light arise out of Darkness to lead thee Art thou wounded in Conscience feed not there but abide in the Light which leads to the Grace and Truth which teaches to deny and put off the Weight and removes the Cause and brings Saving Health to Light Yea this I say to thee in the Name of Jesus Christ that tho' thou has made thy Grave as deep as the nethermost Hell or were thy Afflictions as great as Job's and thy Darkness as the Depths of the Sea yet if thou wilt not run to vain helps as I have done but stay upon the Lord till he give thee sight by his word which commands Light to shine out of Darkness from thence will he bring thee forth thy Eye shall guide thee and thou shalt praise his Name as I do this day glory for evermore and this word is nigh thee which must give thee Light tho' Darkness Comprehends it not And hast thou Gifts Revelations Knowledge Wisdom or
Infallibility of all and every one must be a Deceit because the Infallibility is asserted to belong to every one of them FestÃna Lentè may be a useful Caution to one that makes such hasty and false Conclusions The Infallibility of all and every one is the Holy Spirit and if every one that make profession of it should fall from it and turn from the Grace of God into Wantonness or Delusion yet the Holy Spirit would be no Deceit I will give that Memorable Instance of the two Prophets mentioned 1 Kings 13. where both of them had true Prophesies yet by giving way to Error both fell the first ver 24. lost his Life And of the last it 's said ver 18. He lyed Yet it cannot be but falsly and wickedly concluded that because the Prophesy of one of them was false and the other thereby led into Error therefore the Infallible certainty of all and every one of the Prophesies of the Prophets in the Old and New Testament was a Deceit Nay from hence Holy Writ does not conclude against but confirm the Prophesies of them two Prophets which they delivered in their Obedience to God This brings me to his 8th Head of Distinction of Prophesies which he says are false VIII But here in this place let me give two or three instances to shew their false and wicked pretence to Infallibility And I will not travel far for an example But I will be as merciful in exposing them as I can I will see the Instances before I make the like Conclusion The first instance is of as he calls him a Quaker Glover in Cheapside The Snake did tell us he would not travel far for an Example This is some small hint that he Sculks about the City But if in his next he will be more particular as to his place there is a Poor Man formerly the King's Messenger would gladly speak with him but at present to return to the Mercy of the Snake in Exposing Mercy when properly spoken I know what it means but when it proceeds from an Adversary so Profane Unjust and Hypocritical as is this Snake it cannot have fewer alias's added to it than hath his proper name it may be alias this or alias that but that it is not Mercy in the true Signification of the word will in a few words be seen The Snake calls it Mercy in that he spares names but that it is no such thing may be seen by this he calls one p. 51. Prophet John and there was no such Person of that name and the true reason why he forbore others was because he might err as much in them But be all this as it may the Relation and Story is false and to shew that his Mercy is rejected the Quaker Glover speaks for himself and subscribes his name The Glover replies for himself thinking it no favour to have his name conceal'd 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 better inform'd by him who is willing to joyn Issue with him in his great many more instances as he saith Nat. Markes Reader I have transcribed this out of G. W's Antidote which he wrote in Answer to the first Edition of the Snake that I might not want an Answer to a Story pompously tho' falsly set out in 3 or 4 Pages His second Story of Prophesies is p. 54. of Solomon Eccles who he says did denounce concerning John Story that he should Dye within one Year and that he meant it of a natural Death The Snake who Glories in the miscariages of them that fall does apply this to the whole Body tho' it can be with no more Justice or Strength of Argument so apply'd than the Lye of that Prophet 1 Kings 13.18 which he spake in the name of the Lord can be apply'd to all the Faithful Prophets in the Messages which from the Lord they did in faithfulness deliver But further S. E. did himself find his words his Burden and did under his own hand condemn that Hastiness Anger and Darkness of Spirit in which he does confess he spake those words and it is not unlikely but the Snake hath either seen or heard so much and if he hath either it is a manifest Lye in him to lay that to the Quakers which they then did deny and which also the Person offending did truly and justly take to himself His Words are these in Babylonish Opposer c. p. 8. As I was sitting waiting on the Lord on the 29th instant these things rose in my Heart that I should acknowledge my Offence to all the Brethren in London and thereabouts and Bristol and to all the Brethren North and South that had been witnesses against the Spirit of Separation and am to let you know that it doth truly Repent me and sorely Grieve me that you that do bear a faithful Testimony for God should have any Prophesie thrown at you which I spoke to John Story in an angry Spirit I do therefore acknowledge as I have signified in my last Paper about two Years ago that I have had little rest Day nor Night at times ever since I spoke these words to John Story That it was the word of the Lord that he should dye that Year which were mine own words and soon became my Burden and were spoken in the Dark and Darkness was upon my Spirit and so under a strong Temptation which I was suffered to fall into I not standing in the Counsel of God for which I bore God's Indignation But I soon saw I should have gone to him in a meek Spirit to beseech him to be reconcil'd to his Brethren But I do judge and condemn that hasty Spirit that set a time for his dying and called it the word of the Lord. And do desire this may go as far as where-ever it may have a service for Truth Solomon Eccles. His Third Instance is p. 55. A Prophecy of W. Penn 's against one Tho. Hicks So sure as the Lord liveth and I testifie to thee from the Lord 's Living Spirit If thou desist not and come not to deep Repentance the Lord will make thee an example of his Fury and thy Head shall not go down to the Grave in peace Ibid. p. 55. Now Tho. Hicks did go down to the Grave in Peace and no Visible Example of God's Fury was shewn upon him And which the Snake has not mentioned Tho. Hicks did desist and did not as I have heard as the Snake falsly says he did p. 56. remain to his Death an Opposer of the Quakers which was the terms of the Denunciation So that the Quakers may
that can be nam'd that have Apostatized While they were led by the Spirit of Truth were by that Infallibly led and it was no Delusion to affirm so much of them or others while in their obedience to that Infallible Guide But G. Fox c. did never say that any were or could be Infallibly led but by the Holy Spirit Therefore G. F. c. were not herein led by the Spirit of Delusion but by the Spirit of Truth Ibid. p. 63. The Infallibility of the private Spirit or of each particular Quaker is now damned by their Church and their Infallibility is now reduced by them to that of their Church 'T is a notorious Falshood that ever Infallibility was by us placed in the private Spirit of any or every Quaker as it is by this Snake asserted or that it is now reduced to the Church Infallibility is now by us placed where it ever was that is in the Infallible Spirit of God privately or particularly working in the Hearts of Men. Ibid. p. 64. All I am concerned for at present is that their Churches have censured these Separatists and given Judgment against the Light within particular Persons which was the Original Pretence and only Infallible Guide of the first Quakers And upon this only ground they exclaim'd against any Church assuming Authority over any Man 's private Spirit or his Light within as Anti-christian and Diabolical and gave this as the reason of their Separation from the Church of England One but not the only reason and ground of some that separated from the Church of England might possibly be Her Hierarchy and Government or assumed Authority over Conscience as she in her turn made it part of the reason for her Separation from Rome as see Apologia Ecclesiae Anglicanae printed 1617. But that bond of Union and spiritual Fellowship which united us to be a People was First and Principally The Light of Jesus Christ shining into our Hearts whereby through obedience we had and have Unity with all who in any measure are turned to it and walk in it and by this Union of Spirit we were gathered into one Body of external Fellowship and Society in matters of Doctrine and Discipline and being so gathered into particular Assemblies or Churches with respect to place at unity The Authority which these our Assemblies do claim towards them that do so declare themselves Members and who do believe and profess the same Doctrines and Principles of Faith and are so distinguish'd and denominated is grounded in this That every such Member is gathered as above and not by any external constraint or outward respect but only by the real force of Truth upon their Understanding And of such as do profess to be so gathered into Unity and Fellowship with us If any shall Innovate in Doctrine and Discipline and make Defection from the Spirit of Love contrary to that Belief and Profession which by the force of Truth and Convictions of God's Grace on their Hearts they did make and declare at their coming into Unity and Fellowship with us Such the Church or Assembly hath Power to declare Separated from the Body because by this their Innovation and Defection they have dissolved that bond of Union by which they became Members and when censure is denounced against these who are thus separated It cannot be accounted or esteemed A giving Judgment against the Light within particular Persons Because the Light of Jesus Christ is not contrary to it self and if by the inshinings of that it was that they through obedience came into Fellowship and did profess and declare to believe as above it does necessarily follow that their Innovation and Defection must proceed from being darken'd and decay'd from that Life of Righteousness in themselves which was the first Principle of true Union And when we have declared against any Church assuming Authority towards any Man and that Light of Grace which is in him it hath been because such Church hath assumed that Authority without that previous bond of Union which is above declared Having thus briefly but truly stated the Ground and Nature of that Government which is among us and the reason of our refusing Church Government not so constituted it will serve to dispatch all the Objections of the Snake upon this head with greater speed I shall here in fit place acquaint thee Reader that the Snake takes up a considerable part of the following Pages in this Section and some in that concerning Tithes particularly about G. Keith and our Controversy with him I shall take little more notice of them than as they relate to Government that being what the Snake says p. 118. foregoing He is chiefly concerned for Besides that Controversy which Books may be had of Tace Sowle in White-Hart-Court Gracious-Street is in such hands as I doubt not are still ready to maintain the Justice of that Cause they are concerned in if G. K. or the Snake for him shall think fit to reply to what they have written that is yet unanswered by him and also the compass of this Tract will be too short to allow room for a matter so much controverted as that has been Therefore what I shall chiefly say concerning him and what the Snake is most concern'd for will be as above with respect to his quondam Society and Fellowship with us and to shew that the Judgment given against him was not against that Light of Jesus Christ which he once acknowledged for his sufficient Teacher The like for brevity sake I would be understood concerning John Wilkinson John Story Bugg and others who may have Separated or Apostatized as these have done From p. 64. to 68. The Snake is wholly imploy'd on G. K. giving in them some short and false bits of Stories relating to that difference with him in Pensilvania which I should have wholly passed by but that in one Instance the Snake is remarkably false That is p. 66. G. K. was accused for Preaching two Christs i. e. a Christ without besides the Christ within This Sam Jennings after their manner of mumbling Thistles will not confess but dare not deny That G. K. was so accused Sam. Jennings does deny so far as it came to his Knowledge but the Snake carps at S. Jennings because he does not affirm or deny upon such incompetent Authority and Evidence as himself uses which has as I have already shewn and may hereafter shew led him into notorious Lyes and false Stories For S. Jennings says State of the Case p. 6. In the Judgment given forth against him G. K. by Friends they say W. Stockdale denyed the words so spoken as in the Charge above and Ibid. p. 7. which I have heard him W. S. often solemnly to deny Is this mumbling of Thistles or does it not rather shew that S. J. took care to speak Truth to the utmost of his Knowledge and is a full denial of G. Keith's Charge Snake p. 66. Why was this the business of
we know it to be beyond our practice and liking For whoever is disowned by us for practices contrary to the Terms of their Union and Fellowship is not thereby broke and undone in his outward estate which the Excommunication above hath sometimes threatned Because our disowning of Backsliders and Immoralists does only extend to testifie against such Persons and Practices and it is the Duty of a Christian Community so to do And I herein charge the Snake with a Lie till he can prove Fifty in one Hundred who have been broke and undone in their Trade by such our Testimonies Ibid. p. 83. The surest method for a Young Man to step into an Abounding Trade and a Rich Wife is to set up first for a Preacher of which many Examples daily occur Tho' the Snake in his own Language p. 16. does boldly and impudently aver this yet no such Examples do daily occur because we own not any for true Preachers who do so set up themselves But who are thereunto inwardly moved of the Holy Ghost And this Call the Snake would have us think he owns it being a previous Question to Ordination as himself says p. 316. Ibid. p. 83. G. F. had more Mony at his Disposal than any Bishop in England he having the Command of the Quaker-Treasury It is a notorious Lie G. F. never had the Command of the Treasury of the Quakers Ibid. p. 83. There is a Topick behind which if the former convince them not may at least shame them out of their vain pretences to Infallibility and is the Pitiful and Childish Blunders which are daily seen among them This remaining Topick will on examination like the rest be turned Topsie Turvy for why should a real mistake be more prevalent to make a Man relinquish the guidings of the Spirit of Truth which is able and ready infallibly to guide him in all that concerns his Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life Then the Snake's false Suggestion of Heretical Opinions which he says we hold Which if it were true were a better Argument against Infallibility than the most Childish blunder that can be He quotes W. P. in his Christian Quaker p. 104. repeated by Tho. Elwood in his Truth Defended p. 167. Saying that Christ was born at Nazareth it was a Mistake And what will it thence follow that the Holy Spirit is not able infallibly to inform W. P. and T. E. all that pertains to their Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life If the Snake so think it is easie to know that he blunders and that very dangerously The same is to be understood of the mistake of G. F. if there be one which I have not seen He does also instance one William Walker who he says p. 84. did mistake John 14.2 In my Father's House are many Mansions for in my Father's House are many Manchets Ibid. 84. Another Preaching on Paul 's being bred at the Feet of Gamaliel and being asked by one in the Meeting what that Gamaliel was answered a Town in Judea These two hearsay Stories I disbelieve till proved and in his next desire it be not forgot if it can be done Ibid. p. 84. But above all his Battle-Door a large Book in Folio in defence of the phrase Thee and Thou out of several Languages Greek Hebrew c. of which G. F. understood not one Letter yet subscribes G. F. not only to the Book but to the several pages of this Poliglot That Book the Battle-door is a Collection of Scripture-Examples in the words of the several People recorded therein as the Medianites Hittites Sodomites c. and also a Collection of Examples in the ancient and Modern Languages testifying or proving their concurrence in the essential difference in expressing one and many This Compound work is subscribed by G. F. J. Stubbs and B. Furly For Scripture Examples it needed no greater Learning than English to collect them and that G. F. had For the other Languages the other Subscribers were qualified But the Snake is angry that G. F. is subscribed to the pages of this Polyglot But if he had not been blinded by Envy he might have observed That these words in the Handle of the Battle-Door The Light which Christ hath enlightned you withal believe in that the anointing within you may know to teach you which words are subscribed G. F. in the first page and are of the same signification in the other Languages throughout all the Battle-Door pages So that the words in the first page being G. F's his Fellow-Labourers in that Work to do him justice did in their translating his words into other Languages still put his Name to them Ibid. p. 85. But some Friends know the Jew who had 60 l. in New Crowns as himself told it out of the Quaker-Treasury for helping G. Fox 's Infallibility as to the Hebrew A Liar had need have the help of a Great Memory The Book was printed in 1660. And if a Jew helped he had earned his Mony before that and it is not likely if a Jew wrought for Bread that he could trust and I am sure there could be no new Crowns before 1660. But what is better there was no occasion for a Jew to do that which John Stubbs and B. Furly could and did do themselves that is throughly understand the Hebrew Language And if the Snake cannot prove to the contrary he has done like a Turk in telling this Lying Story of a Jew Ibid. p. 85. He is angry that G. F. should say in the Preface to this Battle-Door That all Languages are to me no more than Dust But has basely omitted to give G. F's reason why they are so which is being redeemed out of Languages into the Power wherein Men shall agree Thus having Tract and Discover'd this Snake through his many Lies base Insinuations and gross Perversions in this tedious Section I now proceed to his Seventh Section SECT VI. Concerning the Authority of the Holy Scriptures WE have always testified according to 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness And the reason of this is because according to 2 Pet. 1.21 The Prophecy came not in old time by the will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost And therefore it is that we have constantly directed Men to the Holy Spirit for the true understanding of them by the movings whereof they were at first written For as they do contain a true declaration of the things of God so they are not to be truly understood but by the Spirit of God How much the contrary of this can be prov'd by this Snake I shall now examine Snake p. 85. The Quakers notion of the Light within as before explained must necessarily out off our dependance upon the Holy Scriptures as a Rule either of Faith or Manners The Light within Christ in us as before I have explained
Life is thus prefer'd Reader I cannot here omit by a serious Appeal to thy self on the great Injustice and Falsehood of this Adversary And if thou art one who by Conversation with us or our Books hast any knowledge of us thou dost know the Charge of this Adversary is false And I do truly declare that our Value and Esteem for the Books of the Old and New Testament is much greater than for any other Book exstant in the World and this G. W. doth freely own and hath declared as much So also in this particular I will shew his falshood and perversion of G. W's words in the place quoted which the Snake has injuriously curtail'd They are these That which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and greater intending as received and proceeding immediately from that Spirit and spoken in the sense thereof as Christ's words were of greater Authority when he spake than the Pharisees reading the Letter and they in whom that Spirit speaketh not and their speaking we deny So that according to G. W's words that speaking or reading of the Scriptures which is deny'd to be of Authority is when spoken or read by such in whom that Spirit speaketh not that gave forth the Scriptures and we have good Authority for this for thus our Saviour Mat. 22.24 denyed the Sadduces when they spoke and repeated the Law mentioned Deuteronomy 25.5 and thus he also denyed the Devil Mat. 4.6 when the Devil repeated the Prophesy of the Psalmist 91.11 and thus also he deny'd the Pharisees of which are divers Instances Ibid. p. 110 111. Mary Tucker a Quaker Servant to W. Reyman a Barber now living in Queen-street Cheapside but formerly in Bread-street where this Mary then his Servant took the Bible and in the open Day publickly burnt it against the Church in Bread-street to shew her Zeal About 40. Years since one Mary Tucker then Servant to W. Reyman not in Zeal but discomposure of Mind did one Morning early before her Master or Mistriss were stirring burn the Bible For which act she was not only reproved by them but also by sundry of our Friends and disowned and among others concerned herein to reprove and disown this Mary Tucker E. B. as W. Reyman does testify was one which by the way Reader is another Evidence that E. B. had the Scripture in great Authority and Esteem As it is also no small mark of the Snake's Injustice to relate a Lye and say that no Censure was passed upon this Mary Tucker when he might have been informed to the contrary by W. Reyman the place of whose aboad he knew so well But we find he is rather willing to relate a Lye than either know or knowing speak the Truth not only in this Instance of Mary Tucker And the Censure past upon her which he might with little trouble have been informed of so much as this Snake hids in the City And in the Instance of Solomon Eccles p. 124 125. foregoing but also in divers other before and hereafter to be given wherein he hath affirm'd egregious falshoods not from any necessity he was under to depend upon false reports but from a base Inclination in him to shun the Truth and to hate Justice For had not this been his hinderance he might with the trouble of a few Lines and the small additional Charge of the Penny-Post to W. Reyman of Queen-street N. Marks of Cheapside R. Scoryer of Wansworth hereafter to be spoken c. have discharged these out of his Libel and by such other not chargable nor troublesome further than it is so to him that we should be in the right means he might have spared the rest Ibid. p. 111. Pursuant to this their Principle in their Disputes among themselves they appeal to their own Writings instead of the Holy Scriptures Pursuant to this Snake's Practice he hath affirmed a notorious Lye I dare him to give any Proof that may be allowed by Impartial Men that ever we did so appeal It can be no more Proof to quote a Book wherein G. Keith hath said so of us than it is for the Snake to quote Julian Porphery or Celsus for Proof that the Primitive Christians were in the wrong or to quote his own Opinion for Proof that the present Government is so But if the Snake will confute the Answer made to that Book of G. K's which he quotes that may be considered and reply'd to SECT VII His Charge of Idolatry refuted and the Quotations restor'd from his Perversions THat our Belief concerning the Light or Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ in Man is according to Scripture I have before shewn and how that by a sincere Obedience to it it will lead to God and Christ whence it comes and to have true Agreement and Unity with the Declarations from the same Holy Spirit which are recorded in the Scriptures of Truth and also with all the Manifestations of the same Holy Spirit wheresoever and in whomsoever appearing For as God is one so the Holy Spirit leads all that obey it into Unity and Oneness and to account worthy of double Honour the Elders that rule well especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 And in this Section I shall shew that what is by this Adversary called The Quakers Idolatry is not so but only owing to his perversion for as Truth leads to give Honour to whom Honour is due So it also leads to account of no Man above what we ought Ibid. p. 112. They think it not Honour enough to stand before the Throne of God But G. Fox places them upon the Throne p. 31. I suppose Great Mystery for he mentions not the Book The Quakers are in the Power of God and in the Authority of the Lamb above all Houses and are upon the Throne I shall first here detect the Snake's Evil Practice in mangling this Quotation by giving it as it is in the page quoted and afterwards speak to the Doctrine of it To the first The Priest G. Fox's Opponent had said That the Quakers scorns to creep into Houses meaning when persecuted To which G. F. replies This doth not agree with the rest of his Company who say they do Creep into Houses The Quakers are in the Power of God and in the Authority of the Lamb and into Houses creep not but are upon the Throne but you that be in the Form that Deny the Power creep into Houses These Reader are his words and their sense is as plain and nothing but Envy and Ignorance I suppose the first in the Snake could cavil at them or it For who knows not that the word Throne in Religious Matters is a metaphorical expression denoting Spiritual Power and Dominion Christ promised Mat. 19.28 That they who followed him in the Regeneration should sit upon Thrones And to him that overcometh will I grant says he to sit with me in my
Throne c. Rev. 3.21 And John says he saw Thrones and they who sate on them Rev. 20.4 And after all the Exception that the Snake may take at it it is true that as many as through the Power and Authority of the Spirit of Christ in them do follow him in Regeneration they shall sit upon Thrones metaphorically speaking that is in the Power of God over that which heretofore while in Disobedience they were in Captivity to Ibid. p. 113. The Snake quotes part of a Letter said to be writ by G. F. but for any proof that he has given it may either be adulterated by the Snake or some Apostate or forged by them If they were G. F's why did not the Snake give the whole Letter To what purpose hath he made a break in it And what is left out at it The Editors of the Journal had no Reason why they should have left out or altered as p. 114. he says they have those words My Kingdom is not of this World and those words who is the Son of God which need not have given offence if they had been in For they whom Jesus Christ hath washed from their Sins in his own Blood are by him made Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.6 and to them it is their Father's good pleasure to give the Kingdom Luke 12.32 which is not of this World And for those last words said by the Snake to be omitted and instead of which he says are added I set my Name what room or place was there for all that to come after his Name was set which the Snake hath given and omitted with a Ibid. p. 114. In a Book called News coming out of the North p. 15. G. Fox says I am the Door that ever was the same Christ Yesterday to Day and for ever Reader if now upon view of G. Fox's words they shall plainly appear to be by him spoken of Christ thou wilt I doubt not agree with me that the injustice of this Adversary must be very great who hath of set purpose traduced and perverted G. F's words insinuating that he spake them of himself when in truth it is no such thing This will best appear by giving the Quotation with the Marginal Scriptures from the page quoted by the Snake and is as follows P. 15. Now to all dear Ones and dear Hearts I speak The same Seed which is Christ the same Spirit takes upon it now as ever was the same World is now as ever was the same Temptations and the same Devils and the same Worship of the World twining into one another Form and Colour And Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life he is the Door that all must pass through and he is the Porter that opens it I am the same Door that ever was the same Christ Yesterday to Day and for Ever Look at the Captain Jesus Christ who hath passed before who was tempted the Captain of our Salvation and the same temptation to Worship the Devil and if thou wilt Worship the Devil thou shalt have the Glory of the World but if thou wilt not bow down and Worship the Devil thou shalt have none of the Worlds Glory but be called a Devil as Christ was and be called a Mad-man as he was This Reader with much more of the like Import which I have omitted G. F. does there speak concerning the Power of Jesus Christ to preserve Men out of Temptation and the workings of the Devil to destroy Men by them Yet this by the Snake is accounted part of the Quakers Idolatry The Snake's Quotation from the Introduction to G. F's Battle-Door I have already reply'd to p. 149. and therefore need not say more to it here The Snake 's next Quotation p. 114. is from The Title Page of News coming out of the North from whence he insinuates and charges G. F. with saying of himself that he was prophesied of His Quotation is this Written from the Mouth of the Lord from one who is Naked and stands Naked before the Lord Clothed with Righteousness whose Name is not known in the World risen up out of the North which was prophesied of but now is fulfilled here the Snake leaves off but G. F. continues The Army is coming out of the North against you Terrible Ones whose Weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual G. F. Now from G. F's words it is plain that those words which was prophesied of relate to that Prophecy of Jeremy the 31.8 and not to himself or any Person and are only an allusion to those Prophesies of the H. Prophets concerning the Armies of the North which were to fight against and overcome the Jews and other Nations for their Disobedience and Wickedness Which as they litterally did do so by a usual allusion the People fulfilling this Prophecy Jer. 31.8 will through the Assistance of God's Grace their Weapons being Spiritual not Carnal go on in the Warfare of the Gospel-Day The Snake's next Quotation p. 114. is from Several Petitions answered c. p. 60. And he gives it thus My Name is Covered from the World and the World knows not me nor my Name G. F. Now who would not take this to be either all that G. F. had here spoken or else the words last delivered But Reader it is neither of these for G. F. is subscribed at the bottom of several lines more than these the Snake hath given and are continued by G. F. thus The Earthly Name the Earthly Man knows and he is afraid of Reproach and cannot bear it upon the Earthly Name he that overcometh hath the New Name and knoweth it Now Reader what is this but the sense of those Scriptures 1 Pet. 4.14 Rev. 2.17 and 3.12 which whether this Adversary did not know or had wilfully omitted to consider are yet sufficient to shew the falsity of his Charge of our Idolatry herein The Snake's next Quotations are from an Adversaries Book which was answered Yet such is his Injustice that he takes no notice of the Answer but objects as if they had not been reply'd to wherefore it deserves not to be taken notice of till he shall have reply'd to that Answer and disprov'd it And any Man may with equal Justice quote the Books of the Romanists to prove the Church of England Schismatical Heretical c. without taking notice of the Answers written to them Charges But whether such practice would be reasonable or not not only the Agrieved Party but all impartial Men can readily determine One of these Quotations is from part of a Letter writ by Josiah Cole to G. Fox and which had been formerly objected against by John Faldo and other Adversaries to which Objections W. P. did Answer in two several Books one Entituled Judas and the Jews the other Entituled The Invalidity of J. Faldo 's Vindication Of the first of these Books the Snake takes so much notice p. 115. as to say that W. P. does in p. 44.
from a few words by him pickt from this Quotation very arrogantly pretends to say They the Quakers think that the name Christ does belong to every one of them not only more than to that Body but as well as to it while it was upon the Earth But what freedom soever the Snake has used to misrepresent I. P's words which as above quoted say no such thing yet it is intollerable that he should carry his Iniquity so far as to bely our very Thoughts and to tell the World that They the Quakers think c. what no Quaker did ever think In fine the Sum of I. P's words is only thus in the words of the Beloved Disciple 1 John 2.27 But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you all things and is Truth and is no Lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him Thus Christ the Anointed Isa. 61.1 Luke 4.18 gives the Anointing of his Spirit for a Guide to his Followers Ibid. p. 132. The Snake quotes from Great Mystery p. 88. Christ is the Elect. And falsly glosses upon it in this manner Thus Christ is the Elect and Elect are Christ's They make them convertible Terms The Prophet Isaiah speaking of Christ saith Isa. 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth c. And also the Holy Apostle 1 Pet. 2.6 Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner-Stone Elect Precious c. And we do say He Christ was from Eternity the Elect and Chosen of God by and through whom all who are made partakers of Eternal Salvation must be Elected and Chosen Yet the Terms are not convertible Christ is the Elect Head of the Church all who are obedient to his Spirit of Grace are Elect Members This is agreeable to a Cloud of Scripture Testimonies for the present take these following Mat. 24.31 Rom. 8.33 Col. 3.12 Tit. 1.1 Ibid. p. 132. Quoted from Great Mystery p. 207. A Priest had said That God hath a Christ Distinct from all things whatsoever To which G. F. replys God's Christ is not distinct from his Servants Reader I have in the last Section shewn thee what kind of distinction G. F's Opponents pleaded for and what he opposed viz. Separation and Incommunication And surely those terms Distinct and Incommunicable are not fit to express the Deity nor yet his Dwelling in Man and in such sense Christ is not Distinct that is Separate from his Servants Ibid. p. 133. They say a Man may tell a Lye so often that he may come to believe it himself at Last Of this the Snake may likely be an Instance Ibid. p. 133. Who that had not his Head turn'd with such Enthusiastical Delusion could have imagined that G. F. could not understand the Difference or Distinction betwixt Christ and himself And that Men of sense should lick up his Spittle Who that had not his Heart turned with Malice and Envy and thereby his Eyes blinded cou'd have failed to see that G. F. does according to Scripture understand the difference between Christ and himself But the Positions of the Priests were concerning not the Difference but the Separation of Christ What else can the Sense be of this Position of the Priest Great Mystery p. 293. The Father is a distinct Incommunicable Being from the Son and the Son a distinct Incommunicable Being from the Father and the Holy Ghost a distinct Incommunicable Being from the Son And if thus Distinct or Incommunicable to each other it 's not to be expected the Deity should be less Distinct and Incommunicable to Men And against this false and Anti-scriptural Doctrine it is G. F. hath declared as is before shewn And this is the Spittle the Snake licks up and defends Ibid. p. 133. And I have shewn several Instances Sect. 8. where G. F. does assume the Stile and Names of Christ to himself and that others do allow them to him I have in all those several Instances in Sect. 6. shewn that the Snake hath bely'd G. F. and others for that he hath not assumed them nor others allowed them to him as suggested by the Snake Ibid. p. 133 134. All which is excused by Mr. Penn in the 11 th Chapter of the Invalidity of John Faldo c. in such a wonderful manner as will leave no Blasphemy or Idolatry in the world without a very fair pretence W. P. shews in that Book that the Charges of our Enemies then were false as are now those of the Snake and rescues the words of some of our Friends therein from their Perversion as some others of them herein now are He speaks Scripture and Reason and shews we are agreeable to both and uses no fair pretences to excuse but solid Orthodox Truths to shew and explain that we are neither Blasphemous nor Idolatrous as may be seen p. 266. of that Book Invalidity c. Ibid. p. 134. These are the words of a great Apostle of the Quakers Edw. Burroughs p. 273. of his Works The Sufferings of the People of God Quakers in this Age is greater Suffering and more unjust than in the days of Christ or of the Apostles What was done to Christ or the Apostles was chiefly done by a Law and in great part by the due Execution of a Law The Snake here as is usual with him hath from several places pickt these words and jumbled them together that they might look as he would have them but as they stand in E. B. it plainly shews that his Comparison lies not to the Persons Suffering or to the greatness of the Suffering in it self considered but only with respect to the several pretences of those who were the Persecutors and E. B. does thereupon shew that the Persecutors in those times and also in the times of Queen Mary had the colour of unjust Laws but the Persecutors of his time had not in divers instances for which they did Persecute the Shadow of any Law at all such as for not pulling off the Hat for using the plain Language and such like The Snake next takes up three or four pages upon a Quotation from Solomon Eccles which no Quaker did ever approve much less justifie as hath been formerly observed by Thomas Ellwood to G. Keith and therefore is of no weight here And although he would p. 139. fasten it upon G. Whitehead by nibling at his words in that piece of his Entituled The Light and Life of Christ within p. 58. where he G. W. says that S. E. did speak of the Blood of Christ as more Excellent Living and Holy than is able to be utter'd c. He adds Which might have satisfied any spiritual and unbyassed Mind I say tho' he would insinuate from these words that G. W. does not disown this Expression of S. Eccles yet G.W. does in plain Words deny it which yet this Adversary Snake-like hath omitted to deliver His words
are these Light and Life c. p. 59. I do not make S. E's Expression therein especially as construed by our Adversaries an Article of our Faith And G. W. for himself does there declare He did own the Blood shed to be more than the Blood of another Saint Thus saith not only G. W. but thus also say the Quakers who at all times since a People have readily declared their true and scriptural Sense of it But with respect to S. E's words having first inform'd my Reader that no Quaker did ever approve much less justifie them and therefore surely not make them an Article of our Faith either of which if the Snake can prove he is required to do it I say having first acquainted my Reader thus much it will not I hope be expounded a defending of them words of S. E's if I do briefly shew that had this Snake had in himself any of that great Charity for others which he says p. 10. is more apt to have a good opinion of others than of our selves and which he makes one of the Marks of Divine Enthusiasm or Inspiration He would have looked to see whether S. E's words would not have born Sano sensu some honest and innocent Construction and accordingly have judged rather than put a bad Construction on words which if not safely exprest were however so intended That S. E. did so safely and scripturally intend them is I think plain in that he declares He had no light esteem of the Blood of Christ it self as it was made by Christ a part of that blessed Offering for Man and that what he spake of that part of the Blood which was let out by the Spear and which is that the Snake now makes his advantage of was with respect to the Soldiers Act and the time of doing it which was after his Death So that I think it may in truth appear That that upon which Solomon Eccles did ground the difference he put between the Blood of Christ in one respect and in another was that in the one it was a voluntary Offering of Christ himself in and by the Eternal Spirit before his Death In the other it was the forcible act of a Soldier after he was Dead and the Sacrifice compleated And this with much more our Friend Tho. Ellwood had heretofore said Truth Defended p. 111 112. in reply to G. Keith upon the same Charge and which the Snake might have reply'd to if he could before he had renew'd it Ibid. p. 140. They have evaded the most express Texts for Christ's Humanity even that Gen. 3.15 his being the Seed of the Woman They allegorize that too into a Spiritual Sense quite away from the Letter and to mean nothing else in the World but their Light within We have not evaded any Text of Scripture for Christ's Humanity therefore not that of Gen. 3.15 wherein he is testified of as The Seed of the Woman Nor have we allegoriz'd it into a Spiritual Sense beyond the Authority of express Texts of Scripture much less quite away from the Letter but as we now do so we always since a People have owned that it did mean something more than the manifestation of the Spirit or Light of Christ in Man But the Snake for Proof of this Charge makes a Quotation from W. P's part of The Christiâ—n Quaker p. 97 98. The Serpent says he is a Spirit Now nothing can bruise the Head of the Serpent but something that is Internal and the Snake has left out Spiritual as the Serpent is But if that Body of Christ were the Seed then could he not bruise the Serpent's Head in all because the Body of Christ is not so much as in any one And consequently the Seed of the Promise is an Holy and Spiritual the Snake has left out Principle of Light and Life and Power the Snake has left out that being received into the Heart bruiseth the Serpent's Head And because the Seed which cannot be that Body is Christ as testify the Scriptures the Seed is one and the Seed is Christ and which the Snake has cut off as not to his purpose and Christ God over all blessed for ever We do conclude and that most truly that Christ was and is the Divine Word of Light and Life that was in the beginning with God and was and is God over all blessed for ever Thus W. P. From which the Snake says p. 140. His consequence is that the promised Seed was not any Person but a Principle Which consequence is falsly drawn by the Snake from W. Penn's words the consequence of them being more truly that the Promised Seed was not only that but also a Principle of Light Life and Power which I shall now further shew as it is also declared by T. E. Truth Defended p. 113 114. that The Scope and design of W. P. in those words was to prove against his Opponents that the Son of God who in the fulness of time took upon him a Body of Flesh in which he suffered on the Cross was and was properly called Christ before he appeared in that outward Body which his Opponents denied not owning Christ as Christ to have any existence before that Body which was Born of the Virgin but confining Christ to that Body And because all acknowledge the Promised Seed to be Christ W. P. used that as a Medium to prove that Christ was before that outward Appearance Now this affirming Christ to be the Seed and that Seed to be Inward and Spiritual is not a denial of Christ having a bodily existence without us for he may have and hath a bodily existence without us and yet may be and is spiritually within us 'T is true he denied that that Body which Christ had from the Virgin Strictly considered as such was the Seed and he gave divers reasons for it And which are mentioned from p. 94. to p. 99. of his Christian Quaker From the consequence which the Snake hath falsly drawn from W. P's words viz. That the Seed is not a Person but a Principle He goes on p. 141. fighting against the Bugbear which himself hath conjured up and declares it to be A Supposition of so pernicious a nature that it Vn-christians any who holds it For the Faith of Christians is built upon that Man Jesus Christ as The Seed Promised to bruise the Serpent's Head His Supposition so far as respecting us the Quakers and W. P. in particular is false For we believe the Manhood of Christ gloriously united with the Godhead to be the Seed Promised Gen. 3.15 and also that that Seed being of a Divine and Spiritual Nature did inwardly work against the Serpent and did bruise his Head and break his Strength and Power in some measure in the Holy Men and Women in all Generations T. E. Truth Defended p. 114. and by this their inward experience of his Spirit and Power he was the object of their Faith to be made manifest in God's
outward But the end of that teaching was to the Soul the inward Man and against Spiritual Wickedness in high places Eph. 6.12 And this outward Teaching in its end and in its continuance is that it may bring People in their several Generations to witness the Spiritual Baptism of Christ with the Holy Ghost whereby they may be brought to witness that they are begotten to God Ibid. p. 168. This outward Baptism with Water was an Ordinance instituted as a means of Grace whereby the Inward Baptism with the Holy Ghost was conveyed This is saying but not proving We deny that Baptism with Water was Instituted as a means of Grace for then had the far greater number of those who were converted to Christianity by the Ministry of Paul wanted the means of Grace Because they were very few as himself testifies that he did Baptize with Water And to them whom he did so Baptize is was not the means of Grace Because if it had been so it must have perpetually attended his Ministry in that Grace and Truth which comes by Jesus or otherwise the Apostle Paul was not compleatly as the rest of the Apostles a Minister of the Spirit which I think this Snake will hardly venture to affirm But himself declares it did not perpetually attend his Ministry 1 Cor. 1.17 For Christ sent me not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel Ibid. p. 168. Vpon all which accounts it was necessary even where the inward Baptism with the Holy Ghost was already attained as St. Peter said Acts 10.47 If where the inward Baptism with the Holy Ghost be attained the Outward Baptism with Water be still necessary because the Holy Apostle Peter commanded Acts 10.48 Cornelius and his Family to be Baptized Then why is not Circumcision also necessary because the same Apostle did compel the Gentiles in general to be Circumcised and concerning which at that time when Cornelius was Baptized it was not determined whether they should be Circumcised This sufficiently shews that the Apostles words in this place cannot be understood to Intend or Command Outward Baptism with Water to be a standing and perpetual Ordinance in the Church Ibid. p. 169. It is very Observable that among those things wherein St. Paul was instructed thus immediately from Christ he tells us 1 Cor. 11.23 That one was the Institution of the Lord's Supper Vpon which he lays so great stress that he charges grievous Diseases sent among the Corinthians and Death it self vers 30. upon their Neglect and Abuse of this Holy Mystery It is very observable that this Snake by begging every matter in question takes them for granted which we deny And then in usual assurance runs on in his Doughty Manner without so much as offering at any Authority to prove what he says or disprove what we have often said upon this Subject Thus he will have the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.23 delivering to that People the Institution of the Lord's Supper Yet has not proved from the words that they are any Institution at all The words of the Apostle are these vers 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took Bread These words of the Apostle are plainly a Narration of somewhat done by our Saviour but contain not any Institution or Command as the observing Reader may find And had the Apostle herein intended to deliver an Institution or Command of something that was to be perpetually obligatory in the Church and not to deliver singly an account of matter of Fact he had no doubt deliver'd it in words whose import could not be questioned But he saith not For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you That as the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was deliver'd took Bread So c. The Apostle saith not thus but the contrary and when he repeats the imperative words of Christ to his Disciples on this Head he seemeth of set purpose so to have placed them that they do not import any Command For he saith vers 25. This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me vers 26. For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come These I say do not import any Command or Institution which because the Snake will have that they do let him shew wherein If he thinks the words as often to have some imperative force let him see if he can prove that that imperative Force is more than if one should say to him As often as thou goes to Westminster call upon John Thompson late one of the King's Messengers I easily think the Snake will conclude the imperarative Force of these words none at all and will go as occasion calls to Westminster and not think himself obliged to make that Visit. But the Snake goes on with wonderful assurance and will have the Apostle lay so great stress upon this Institution That he charges grievous Diseases sent among the Corinthians and Death it self vers 30. upon their Neglect and Abuse of this Holy Mystery But from the place it self it does not appear that the Apostle lays any such stress upon it For first as I have already shewn the Apostle makes a narration of Fact Tells what our Lord did do that Night in which he was betrayed but gives no Command does not declare it to be instituted makes no Mystery of it as the Snake would suggest Secondly The Apostle redargueth the Corinthians evil practices of Drunkenness and Unseasonable Eating even then when they were pretending to have in remembrance the Death of Christ. And queries of them vers 22. What! have ye not houses to eat and drink in or dispise ye the Church of God and shame them that have not What shall I say unto you Shall I praise you in this I praise you not Thirdly The Apostle does in the 30th verse shew them some of the Consequences which had attended their Irreverent Greedy and Drunken practices and tells them For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep And a very natural Consequence it is and nothing strange that Intemperance should bring Weakness and Sickness and finally Death But the Snake would put the Apostles words upon the Tenters and stretch them to signifie grievous Diseases All Weakness and Sickness may in some sense be said to be grievous But when we say Grievous Diseases are sent among a People it does at least imply something more than the common Infirmities which usually our Nature is subject to by way of Eminence as a Judgment This the Snake seems to suggest but offers not to prove neither can he or that those Corinthians were more Weak and Sickly c. than what might be the natural effect of the Intemperance above spoken of Ibid. p. 169. How then would he have censured the Preaching down this and the other
Sacrament of Baptism as Carnal and Hurtful And it may be asked how he would have censur'd the appointing for Institutions and Sacraments what was not so appointed by our Saviour himself or any of his Brethren the Apostles Ibid. And let me here seriously mind these Quakers and admonish others how their Neglect of the Outward Ordinances and Signs has lost to them the Reality and the Thing signified This Snake hath as before shewn pretended great Charity for us yet here sticks not to damn us all See Reader his Hypocrisie he pretends to object against us and hath made a particular Section on that Head That we damn all but our selves of which in its place Yet here in great Charity and as himself says seriously we have lost the Reality and the Thing signified which he will say is Christ then necessarily Salvation which is only by him But it is well for us that this Snake whether serious or scoffing whether profane or arrogant and at times he is all these is still wrong and false For we can in deep Humility of Soul thank God that thro' the Manifestations of the Holy Spirit upon our Hearts we are kept in fresh and living Remembrances of the Love of God in Jesus Christ to us ward and as we open at his Voice we do witness him to fulfil his Promise Rev. 3.20 I will come into him and sup with him and he with me Ibid. For it had been impossible for any who had been kept in the constant use and practice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to have forgot Christ's outward Dying and Shedding of his Blood And is it not as much impossible for those who witness Christ to fulfil his Promise Rev. 3.20 in them to forget his outward Crucifixion and shedding of his Blood I think it is not less impossible and I am very sure it is not less Beneficial for a Man to witness the Spiritual Supper of Christ in and with him than it is for a Man without such Spiritual Knowledge to have only the Outward Remembrances of Christ by outward Bread and Wine Now if the Snake will say and prove that it is impossible for all such who have the Outward Ordinances to miss of the Spiritual Knowledge of Christ that might be somewhat to the purpose but the Contrary is too plain Yet it is absolutely and always impossible for all those who do Spiritually Sup with Christ as mentioned Rev. 3.20 while they do so Sup with him to forget him No it cannot be but that Daily Bread which he breaks to those who seek him will preserve the Soul which does receive it alive to bless and praise his Name Ibid. p. 70. The Devil having stoln from us the Body or Outward Part of Religion the Soul soon disappeared If the Devil has done so by this Snake it is otherwise than we may observe he commonly does by Mankind For it was the Complaint of God by his Prophets against the Jews of old that they had lost the Soul of Religion while they kept the Body or Outward Part. The like Complaint our Saviour made of the Pharisees who had clean outsides The like Complaint was made against the Romanists by our first Reformers viz. that they had the Body or Outward Part of Religion but the Soul of it was disappear'd And for all the Snake's suggestion the Devil holds the same Course And he may have as Gay an outside as he will while he continues so deceitful within as he is Ibid. Religion can no more live and be preserved to us here while we are in the Body without outward and corporal means than the Soul can live to us here while we are upon the Earth without our Body and hence the Corporal Service Rom. 12.1 The Snake has here as in many other places advanced a false and dangerous Tenet little if any thing differing from the opus operatum of the Papists which he would shrowd under the Patronage of Rom. 12.1 which Scripture is directly opposite to his Assertion as we shall presently see He hath asserted Religion cannot be preserved without Corporal Means Now it is an undoubted Truth that true Religion cannot be begotten in the Heart of Man by other means than the secret and inward influences of the Holy Spirit and as this only and alone can beget it so it is this only and alone that can preserve it When it is thus begoten inwardly in the Heart it is indeed the means of those outward services being acceptable to God But outward services cannot be the means of it for we cannot present our Bodies a Living Sacrifice Holy acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 By any other means than by having our Souls and Spirits subjected to the Guidance and Influences of the Holy Spirit and therefore it was that the Apostle advised Timothy 1 Tim. 4.8 For Bodily exercise profiteth little but Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the Life that now is and of that which is to come And to be sure this Godliness must be first inward before it appear outward And it is the means of all our outward reasonable Service but outward Service cannot be the means of inward Obedience But further When the Apostle advises Rom. 12.1 I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice Holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service He is not bidding the Romans take the Corporal Means of Bread and Wine no such matter But is directing them to an Inward Work for he says vers 2. And be not conformed to this World but be ye transformed by the renewing of your Mind And if this Corporal Means Bread and Wine did thus transform and renew the Mind this Snake with many others who partake of it could not be so wicked as they are Ibid. This is so necessary and plain a Truth that those who take upon them to abrogate the Outward Institutions of Christ do at the same time invent and set up others of their own as has been before observ'd of the Quakers Institution of Womens Preaching and Womens Meetings Concerning Womens Preachings and Meetings hath been sufficiently spoken therefore need not repeat it here But to his Argument that they who abrogate the outward Institutions of Christ do at the same time invent and set up new ones c. I have this to say That if from the Commission Mat. 28.19 Go ye therefore teach all Nations Baptizing them c. must of necessity be understood Baptism with Water and that Infants must be understood to be within the Limits of it It may be convenient for the Snake to shew without taking to himself the liberty of a Despotick and Arbitrary Interpretation why Infants are not within the limits of 1 Cor. 11.25 26. and that they must not communicate of the Bread and Wine If the Snake will take a liberty so differently to interpret places of Scripture and
say they do appoint Institutions tho' the Matter of One viz. Water and the Manner of Both as now used is not therein exprest why has not another as much liberty If what he contends for be not the Text as it is not but an exposition of it what medium will he use to assure me his exposition is right since all Outward Means lye under the same Objection which his own particular Exposition does and they are not a few For I may object to his understanding to the Interest he is in and to the accidental means by which he came so to conclude And thus Men may grope in the Dark concerning the Mysteries of Religion and the Way to the Kingdom of Heaven while they have only Outward and Corporal Means for which the Snake does so much contend for their Guide But if Men would once come to implore the Assistances and wait for the Guidance of the Holy Spirit That as it illuminated the Holy Men of Old to deliver in Writing a Declaration of the Deep Things of God's Kingdom so it would illuminate their Minds to see and know the Meaning of the Holy Ghost in that Declaration By other means than this there can be no certainty herein But this means the Snake depends not on and would represent us as Criminal because we do Wherefore we justly refuse his Expositions for being Inventions which whether set up new or of old standing makes little difference And while the Snake is contending for Inventions set up he does abrogate if not to use be so as the Snake will have it be an Outward Command of Christ delivered in at least as plain if not plainer terms than either of the foregoing for here is both Matter and Manner recorded I instance in the Command of Christ to his Disciples to wash one anothers Feet John 13.14 15. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye also ought to wash one another's Feet For I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done to you Yet here neither the Example nor the declared Intent of it is interpreted to mean an Outward Institution But it is an Allegory and the Command fulfilled while the Sign is disused if we walk humbly before God and serve one another with Love We say so too yet if practical Obedience is here the intent of an Outward Command Why might not Spiritual Baptism and Communion be the intent of Outward Commands Had there been any such which those before mentioned are not As before I have shewn Ibid. p. 170. Vpon this poor pretence that Baptism is not the putting away the filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience c. 1 Pet. 3.21 Which Text they so understand as that the Outward Baptism is thereby disanulled because the Inward Baptism is preferred before it and not reckoned perfect without it This which the Snake calls a poor pretence is but poorly assaulted by him and does remain to be a clear and very plain account of that Baptism which Saves In the Description whereof the Apostle is very particular First Negatively shewing what is not then Affirmatively defining what it is viz. The like Figure or Anti-type as it may be truly rendered whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And according to this account of that Baptism which Saves it cannot be the Baptism with Water because that is putting away the filth of the Flesh but it is the Answer of a good Conscience towards God Now outward Water cannot give this answer for as the Apostle saith 1 John 5 6. It is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is Truth And nothing but this Spirit which is Truth can wash and purify the Soul from its Corruptions and Lusts and having so purified it can give to it the justifying Answer of a good Conscience towards God and therefore with great reason it is to be preferred to John's Baptism with Water which cannot add to the Perfection of Christ's Baptism with Fire and with the Holy Ghost Ibid. p. 170. And so it was in the Institution of Circumcision under the Law The Outward Circumcision of the Flesh was not the chief thing meant by it but the Inward Circumcision of the Heart as the Apostle speaks Rom. 2.28 29. Will it follow hence that there were no Outward and Litteral Jews Or that there was not an Outward and Litteral Circumcision under the Law But though the Outward Circision was not the Circumcision i. e. not that alone unless the Inward did accompany it yet the Outward Circumcision was commanded and that under pain of Death Thus both Baptism and the Lord's Supper c. As the Circumcision under the Law was Outward so it was the Sign of an Outward Covenant Gen. 17.7 8. And I will establish my Covenant between Me and Thee and thy Seed after thee in their Generations for an Everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy Seed after thee And I will give unto thee and to thy Seed after thee the Land wherein thou art a Stranger all the Land of Canaan for an Everlasting posession and I will be their God The Apostle who was a Minister of the Spirit and of the New Covenant does in this Epistle to the Romans shew the Jew that his Outward Dependance was not Good for he tells him Rom. 2.17 21. Behold thou art called a Jew and restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Thus the Apostle having here reproved that Spirit in the Jew which our Saviour had before reproved in them when they told him We are Abraham 's Seed c. and the dependencies which they had because there was in their Flesh the Sign of that Covenant which God made with Abraham The Apostle brings the matter nearer from the Type to the thing typified from the Outward Jew and Circumcision to the Inward Jew and Circumcision vers 28 29. For he is not a Jew who is one Outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is Outward in the Flesh But he is a Jew which is one Inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God The Apostle is here speaking what the Spiritual Jew is not what the Legal Jew was for of him the Apostle had spoken before and in the like manner it may be spoken of them who have dependence upon the Outward and Decreasing Baptism of John and the Outward and Temporary Commemoration of Christ's Death by Bread and Wine and wait not to know the purifying and strengthning of their Hearts and Spirits by the Holy Spirit of God Thus the Apostle shews the necessary Duty of Christians in the Gospel Dispensation which is to witness the Inward Circumcision
above-mentioned p. 45. made a Quotation from T. E's Further Discovery p. 99. thus In comparing the Books of Friends to the Books of them called the Greek and Latin Fathers He has not done as a Friend and Brother but as an Enemy in supposing Friends Books to have been written by no better Guidance or clearer Sight than theirs who lived and wrote in those dark Times Upon this G. K. remark'd to his Auditory You see how modest they are here At this Remark G. K. says his Auditors gave a Shout signifying as he says Their dislike that the Quakers Books should be preferred so far to the Greek and Latin Fathers next to the Days of the Apostles To all this T. Ellwood in his Answer to G. K's Narrative as above in p. 177 178. replies One might wonder here at the cause of his Auditors Shouting For such of them as could understand what was meant by Greek and Latin Fathers one might expect should be Men of greater Wisdom and Gravity than to Shout in such Assemblies and for the Vndiscerning Mobb it was a subject so much above their Capacity and Pretences that it cannot be supposed they should Shout at that if they had not been excited thereunto by some little Antick Gesticulation from him But to the matter They shouted he says signifying their dislike that the Quakers Books should be prefer'd so far to the Greek and Latin Fathers next to the days of the Apostles These are not my words I did not refer to the Times next to the days of the Apostles But my words were Who lived and writ in those Dark Times Must those Dark Times needs be next to the Days of the Apostles See what an unfair stretch is this Thus T. Ellwood And yet as unfair as G. K's stretch was the Snake has stretch'd beyond him and pronounces They the Quakers run them down by wholesale But whether it be so or not I leave with the sober Reader to judge and shall observe by the way that how jealously tender soever he is of the names of them he calls Ancient and Holy Fathers Yet Bishop Jewel being prest with some Authorities brought from them by his Opponent Harding the Jesuit makes no scruple to do what this Snake calls run them down by wholesake for applying to his Reader he says That Doctors in all Ages and in all parts of the World were brought against him And the Bishop then queries Who would not be afraid to see such an Army come against him Howbeit gentle Reader be of good Cheer all this is but a Camisado These be but Vizards they be no Faces they are brought in like Mummers for a Shew and say nothing Jewel against Harding p. 6. Printed 1566. What will the Snake think of the light Character given of Doctors in all Ages and in all parts of the World And were it proper in this place I could add plenty of Instances that many of the Reform'd have made so bold with those this Snake calls Ancient and Holy Fathers as to run them down If to discover their Errors and slight their Authority as incompetent when offered in Contradiction to the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit which gave them forth be so Ibid. p. 194. But now what Quarters shall we have If the Snake ask for himself the answer is ready if it be such as he deserves it will be none of the best For one who tells Lyes for Bread and can pawn all the pretences of Religion upon the Score of Malice and base Design may easily guess what value is to be put upon such an Undertaking Ibid. p. 194. How shall we be able to stand before them It is a Question the Snake may well ask concerning himself after so many Injuries of divers sorts and so great Injustice as he is guilty of towards us the weight of which may well be some pressure upon a Spirit that is at all on this side Obduration Ibid. They damn us all together to Hell i. e. all Christians It is false we Damn none no not the Snake much less all Christians Ibid. But they are more favourable to the Heathen whom they think Worshippers of the same Light with them and not led to Outward Things by the Belief of an Outward Christ and Faith in his outward Sufferings Death c. This Snake has an unusual degree of Impudence for he is not contented only to suborn our Books and pervert our Words and forge Lyes but he does bely our very Thoughts and say we Think what we never declared we did Think For we have never declared That the Heathens indefinitely speaking were obedient to the Light of Jesus Christ But we have often said according to the Apostle Acts 10.35 In every Nation he who feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him And concerning the Heathen in particular with the Apostle Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Which sheweth the work of the Law written in the Heart And of such Heathens who do thus shew forth the Work of the Law written in their Hearts we may say when considered and compared with meer Nominal Christians who have not known the Inward Vertue of what they believe Christ did Outwardly Suffer as our Saviour did say concerning the Pharisee and the Publican Luke 18.14 I tell you this Man departed to his house justified rather than the other For a Man may have a Historical Faith of all the Outward Things which are recorded in Holy Writ that Christ did and suffered Yet through disobedience to the Holy Spirit which Reproveth for Sin John 16.18 he may never know that Faith begotten in him which gives victory over the World Yet hence it 's not to be concluded that such who are obedient to the Holy Spirit in its Reproofs for Sin do therefore slight much less disbelieve any part of what Christ outwardly did and suffered No they cannot but must and do highly value and esteem It knowing the Benefits that we receive by it and do bless God that it is our Lots to have the means of the Knowledge of what Christ did outwardly do So that the Snake is most injuriously Abusive in his false Insinuations to the contrary The Snake now turns again to G. F's Great Mystery from whence not unlike the Quacks of the Town who of their pretended Panacea's boast they will cure all Diseases he pretends to fetch proofs for every Charge tho' contradictory to themselves but how falsly I have at least in some measure shewn As that the Quakers at first setting up pretended to be equal and of the same substance with God And it must also prove that the Quakers now abated from that and do now only claim to be Infallible as Prophets and Apostles Again Great Mystery must prove that there was a time when there was no God p. 122. And also that not the
Quaker-Spirit No it can't because it is not only Cloudy but it is Dark and False to say that words are Furious Venemous or Nonsensical and not give any Proof that they are so It is no help to the Snake to say as he does There needs no Argument to Discern betwixt Perfume and Stench Because that if the Nose can Discern as his Philosophy expresses it without Argument yet the Mind is not established but by Arguments drawn from true Judgment and Reason and none such nay none at all does the Snake offer The Snake for Conclusion to this Section has brought in two texts from the Psalms which he does improperly apply to the Quakers as he has before falsly charged them with Venom Fury Spite Envy and Nonsense And till he can prove that the words spoken by our Friends which whether these quoted were so or not remains to be proved being only taken from Adversaries were in their Original from Fury Spite and Envy and in their delivery Nonsense The Texts of Scripture are but abused by him as a Text in the same Book Psal. 91.11 was by the Devil when he repeated it to our Saviour Luke 4.10 and it will be answer sufficient if after the Example of our Lord we answer in the words of Scripture Psal. 101.7 There shall no deceitful Person dwell within my House he that telleth Lyes shall not remain in my sight SECT XVI Of Fighting and Loyalty I Have hitherto shewn the falsity of the Snake's Charges and his perversions of our Words Doctrines and Principles and how Unduly and Unrighteously he would endeavour to inferr from them Meanings and Consequences which neither are nor ever were ours but which we Abominate as destructive of and contrary to those Doctrines and Principles of the Christian Religion which the Spirit of Truth teacheth and leads into and which we do sincerely Believe And what is thus already in the foregoing Sections made appear will be further manifested in this and the following Sections for that in these as in those he hath not shewn what we are but what he would have us appear to be under the disguise which himself has put upon us In the pulling off which disguise there is at least this accidental Help and Advantage that the disguise in which he has represented us is exceedingly unlike our true Features I call it an accidental Advantage because if his Malice could have been satisfied in accusing us with only an abundance of improbable things they might have found some unthinking People who might have been misled into a too easy belief of them But as that could not be satisfied but by charging us with a number of Absurd and Impossible things So all that shall consider the ground and nature of our Principles and the nature of his Charge will with little difficulty be satisfied of their Contrariety and Inconsistency And tho' from this Consideration the sober Reader might and would have ground sufficient to determine the Question in this particular Yet for the detecting his particular Charges Perversions and Abuses I shall as in the former follow him through them And for his more full and plain Confutation herein I will briefly hint our Principles as Influencing Men with respect to Fighting and Loyalty The first of which the Snake most falsly does Charge us to approve and use and that in the last we are short and defective And first as to Fighting We say the end of the coming of our Lord Jesus as is prophesied of him Dan. 9.24 was to Finish the Transgression and to make an end of Sin And in the Room thereof to establish Truth and Righteousness in the Earth And as many as do witness the Power of his Coming by the Operation of his Holy Spirit in them do know that the work thereof is to take away and cleanse from all the Fleshly Lusts that War against the Soul 1 Pet. 2.11 which the Apostle makes to be the ground of Outward Wars and Contentions James 4.1 and as the Holy Spirit in all those in whom it does effectually work does destroy and purge away the very root from whence unjust Wars do proceed so it prevents in them the occasion of all outward Wars And this our Saviour did Teach in that Sermon of his upon the Mount Matth. 5.21 22. Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time Thou shalt not kill c. But I say unto you whosoever is angry with his Brother c. vers 38 39. Ye have heard it said an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth But I say unto you that ye resist not Evil but whosoever shall Smite on thy right Cheek turn to him the other Vers. 43 44. Ye have heard it hath been said thou shalt love thine Neighbour and hate thine Enemy But I say unto you Love your Enemies c. And if Anger Resistance and Hate be taken away What then can remain to occasion Wars Surely nothing From a sight of this Gospel Dispensation it was that the Prophet in the Holy Vision did foretel the peaceable practice of those who should come under the peaceable Government of Jesus Christ They shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation neither shall they learn War any more Isa. 2.4 And they who thus are redeemed out of the Grounds and Occasions of Wars by the workings of the Holy Spirit in them Such if they continue obedient cannot any more take the Sword into their hands Hitherto with respect to those who are in and under the Administration of the Gospel of Peace concerning whom we have from the first since we were a People declared that God hath taken the Sword out of their hands But tho' God hath thus disarm'd his peculiar People of the outward Sword that he might bring them to have a full and entire Dependance upon him for their safety Yet he hath never disarm'd himself of the outward Sword and as he is as well Soveraign of the World as of the Church and ought to have the command of all Mankind so he may put the Sword into the hands of those who are not yet brought under the Administration which I have above spoken of and he can make them Instrumental in his hand to Chastize his and his Peoples Enemies Thus Cyrus who many years before he was born was by name foretold of by the Prophet Isa. 44.28.45.1 is there called in the Word of the Lord Cyrus is my Shepherd he is the Lord 's Anointed These Titles were given with respect to the Services which God had fore-appointed he should do viz. be instrumental in the delivery of Jacob his Servant his Elect. In like manner and to the like purposes the Prophet Jeremiah in the Word of the Lord does in three places call Nebuchadnezzar the Lord's Servant but neither of these were of the peculiar People of God but it pleased him to appoint the Sword into their
false Prophets did also speak in his Name and say Thus saith the Lord when he sent them not Ibid. p. 281. This is the Prince of the Spirits of Delusion and this Prince they worship for God who mistake his Inspirations for God's Very well I say so too but that the Quakers are they who mistake his Inspirations for God's is Gratis Dictum 't is saying but not proving as more particularly will appear upon the several Instances which the Snake brings The first Instance in this Section is what he calls a Prophetical verse of George Whitehead's with which he says G.W. pursued George Keith after he was denied by us He gives it in these words Thus saith the Lord Because thou hast poured out great Contempt and Reproach upon my Servants and People I will assuredly pour out and bring great Contempt and Confusion upon thee Of this the Snake says p. 282. Copies were given out amongst the Friends that they might admire these Prophetical Gifts and if any thing unfortunate should in all George Keith 's Life-time befall him that it might certainly be esteemed as the Consequence of this Curse What Proof is this that what he calls G. W's Prophetical Verse did proceed from Rage Malice or Folly Or that G. Whitehead hath therein mistaken the Inspirations of the Prince of the Spirits of Delusion for God's See Reader how forward the Snake is to give hard words and how backward to prove them That G. Keith hath with great Contempt and Reproach treated the Quakers is very certain and not only so but hath Contemptuously and Reproachfully spoken many things of that way of Truth which they profess and which himself did also for many years profess with them which practices as it is an apparent mark of Confusion in him so it nâ—â—essarily draws after it Contempt upon the Actor from all Observing Men. So that the Prophetick Verse as the Snake calls it of G. W.'s carries with it many evidences of Truth which plainly shew he did not therein mistake the Inspirations of the Prince of the Spirits of Delusion for God's And which is further seen in that there is no proof given by the Snake that it did proceed from Rage Malice or Folly in G. W. as is falsly and maliciously suggested by the Adversary And as there can nothing more unhappy fall out to G. K. in all his Life-time than to continue and go on from one degree of Confusion to another so that Confusion is not the Consequence of what the Snake calls George Whitehead's Prophetick Verse But that Verse was the Consequence of Confusion began in G. K. Ibid. Mr. Penn did own before the Yearly Meeting That the Glorious Power of God which he felt did so transport him that he was carried beyond himself and knew not whether he was Sitting Standing or Kneeling when he pronounced that Sentence of Apostacy concerning G. K. This was like St. Paul's whether in the Body or out of the Body he could not tell Well! Suppose it is like it I would ask the Snake whether he dare affirm that at this day it is altogether impossible for the Spirit of God to influence any to that degree of Extasie or Rapture If he will deny that or which will answer the end of our Present Inquiry if he will allow that but deny this to be so it will then be necessary for the Snake to produce the marks by which he proves it to be what in p. 283. he hath so confidently said it is viz. the Violent Transports of Passion But if the Force of this Mad Spirit of Malice had not govern'd the Snake he might have seen that while he does acknowledge what he there says W. P. does speak of himself to be like the Apostle This was like says he St. Paul whether in the Body c. and calls W. Penn's words The force of this Mad Spirit of Enthusiasm He does then Intimate that the Apostles words proceeded from the like force And how far this may expose Religion and the whole Scriptures to Loose and Atheistical Wits may concern some to see who are more truly concern'd for the honour of both than he who while he is inquiring How great is the force of this mad Spirit of Enthusiasm Observes not how great is the force of the mad Spirit of Atheism in himself But further I do own with the Snake that this Extasie or Rapture of W. P's is like that of Paul Whether in Body or out of Body he knew not That is they are a-like in Kind but not Degree W. Penn's as the Snake says did relate to the Posture of the Body but the Apostle's was much higher even so as to forget the Body Ibid. p. 283. And he is thus far towards it that he must either make out his own Inspirations to be from God in as High a Degree as those which were given to the Prophets and Apostles or otherwise that he has no Authority to inscribe the name of God upon them as they did The Snake does here as before allow the Inspiration to be the same but falsly supposes W. Penn under a necessity to make it out to be in as High a Degree which he is not because the Operation of it on W. Penn the Snake says was not in so High a Degree as on the Apostle And while the Snake does falsly suppose that the Inspirations from God at this day must be made out to be in as High a Degree as those which were given to the Prophets and Apostles Or else his name is not to be inscrib'd on them Besides that the Snake does hereby overthrow what in Pref. p. 31. he calls The greatest Flights and Extasies of Devotion and which he there advises to let Rise as High as they can the Higher the better He does also overthrow all that Enthusiasm which he says the Church of England owns for these he hath acknowledged to be Revelations and in some sense immediate too Yet here he says they are not so to be inscrib'd unless they are in as High a Degree as those given to the Prophets and Apostles Which I think he will hardly presume to affirm But altho' this Adversary is thus Contradictory to himself by denying and affirming the same thing yet Truth remains unmoveable and the Inspirations of the Holy Spirit at this day in what Degree soever they are given are truly the same in kind with those given to the Holy Prophets and Apostles In that now as then God by the divers Gifts of his Spirit doth fit furnish and qualifie his Children and Servants to the several Duties and Services in his Church to which he calleth them Ibid. He must likewise justifie all the False Lying Prophesies before told or otherwise he must unherd W. P. is not obliged to defend False Lying Prophesies but deny them nor doth he Herd as the Snake scornfully speaks with any such Ibid. p. 284. Gives two Quotations one for G. F's Answer to The Westmerland
Petition p. 5. the other from his Saul's Errand p. 7. which are both to this purpose All that speak and not from the Mouth of the Lord are false Prophets and Diviners At this the Snake is wonderfully offended and taking his Copy from other Adversaries for he is not the first herein no more than in his other Charges makes many false Inferences from them As for the Assertion of G. F's it was as I have just now hinted objected against in the Year 1656. by Jeremy Ives and answer'd by James Nayler in a Peice of his printed that Year Entituled Weakness above Wickedness In p. 12 13. of which Book answering to this Charge he saith What is done now by such Diviners as deny the Faith of Christ and his Call and Spirit in them what such raiseth must needs be Conjuration who denies the Faith and Spirit of God And in like manner we find God by his Prophets hath often rebuked them who spake Lyes in his Name and who were Strangers to his Holy Spirit by the name of Diviners Jer. 27.9 Micah 3.7 Zach. 10.2 And their False Prophesies are frequently called Lying and Flattering Divinations which were Truths they could hardly bear any more than those to whom this was spoken But whether it can be born by them or not it will remain a Truth that such who deny the Faith and Spirit of God and shall yet pretend to speak in his Name it can be no other than the Lying Divinations of their own Brain Ibid. p. 285. If all the False and Foolish Miracles which G. F. tells of himself If all these were not from God then was he and those who recommended that Journal all Conjurers That the Miracles there related are False or Foolish is Gratis Dictum it is boldly said but not prov'd Prove them False and Foolish and then there needs no If they were not from God but till they be so prov'd their Authority and Being from God remains a Truth SECT XIX The Charge of Visible Possessions by the Devil Examined and Refuted HAving hitherto trac'd the Snake through the Twinings of his several Charges and discover'd at least in some measure his Falshood Hypocrisie and Malice in them I am not less in hope to perform the same in this His Charge is that many Quakers have been Visibly Possest by the Devil A Charge which if upon Inquiry it prove not true upon the Quakers will at least prove some such thing in the Charger who from a collected Malice cou'd with so much Confidence and bold Effrontry pretend to tell such Visible Falshoods Ibid. p. 286. A Visible effect of this Possession by the Devil was that extraordinary Shaking and Quaking like Fits of Convulsions which these Quakers at the first either acted or like the Heathen Priests of old were possess'd with If the Snake will venture to affirm that all Extraordinary Shaking and Quaking is a Visible effect of Possession by the Devil I can give him two Instances wherein himself has been so possessed The one was when he was seized at Lidd in Kent by Tompson the Messenger and the other was not very long since in the City when he was under some Apprehension of being retaken by the same Person from whom he run away And I make no Question but he hath frequently been attended with the like visible effects of Possession which whether he will attribute to the strong Impression made by the Devil upon his Imagination as I know not so I shall not trouble my self to inquire nor should I have in this place told this Truth but to redargue the Confidence of one who from a course of Clandestine and Base Practices shuns Day-light and is thereby justly subjected to the Frights which the ugly shapes of Fear can terrifie him with from his Superiours yet not that I might thereby pass over his False Allegation which I shall now consider And here concerning Quaking and Shaking I make no Doubt or Scruple to own and acknowledge agreeable to the Instances thereof Recorded in Holy Writ That God by his Power sometimes in this Age hath brought Holy Fear Trembling Quivering and Quaking upon the Bodies of some as in the former Ages we read he frequently did of which some few follow Thus the Israelites in the Camp Exod. 19.16 Trembled Thus Moses Acts 7.32 Trembled Thus the Psalmist 119 120. saith My Flesh trembleth Thus Habakkuk 3.16 saith My Lips quivered Thus God Commanded the Prophet Ezekiel 12.18 Son of Man eat thy bread with Quaking Thus Daniel 10.7 testifies of the Men that were with him Great Quaking fell upon them And many more such Instances there are of the visible effects of God's ower which howsoever Ridicul'd or Stigmatis'd by such who are Strangers to it are not to be despised or profanely contemn'd by any who are at all acquainted with the Work of Christ in them How much less then ought they Blasphemously to be call'd the visible effects of possession by the Devil which are really the visible effects of the Power of God And it is nothing strange that when God by the Discoveries of his Light in the Heart lets Men see their undone Estate without him that then they should be in trouble and cry out with the Apostle of that Body of Sin and Death by which they are held in Bondage And as many as have come to this Discovery and patiently abode under the Judgment of God's Grace by which they might be made Victors do know that through the gradual workings of the Power of God in the binding of the strong Man in the spoiling of his Goods and finally in casting him out of the Heart they can say it was the Day of Jacob's Troubles and these oft-times are such as do affect the Body And while the Soul is in this Conflict and the Creature groaning to be delivered the Tempter who as he always opposes the Work of God in Men so in this Day of Trouble he aims to Subvert the Soul by his Stratagems sometimes by Imitating the Discoveries of God and endeavouring to lead the Mind into Imaginations and False Appearances thereby to lift it up above the Sense of the Operation of God's Grace Sometimes by Imitating the Judgments of God and by endeavouring to lead the Mind down into Despair and a Distrust of God's Mercy An Instance of this sort is Martin Luther concerning whom Harding the Jesuit objected to the Bishop of Salisbury That the Devil in a Night Vision did reason with him against the Sacrifice of the Mass as the Jesuit calls it and the Jesuit quoted for this a Book of Luther's entituled De Missa Angulari Vnctione Sacerdotali and infers from it that the Reformation sprung in the School of Satan The Bishop in his Reply to Harding Printed 1565 p. 2 saith D. Luther sheweth what terrible Temptations the Devil hath to trap Men withall taking occasion sometime of well-doing sometime of Evil sometime of Truth sometime of Falshood And for example
he sheweth that the Devil on a time Assaulted him not in visible Form but by dreadful Suggestions in his Conscience as it were thus calling him to remembrance These many Years thou hast said Mass thou hast shew'd up Bread and Wine to be Worshipped as God yet now thou knowest it was a Creature and not God thereof follow'd Idolatry and thou wert the Cause thereof All these things he saw to be true by the Testimony and Light of his own Conscience and therefore confess'd he had offended and yielded himself unto God The Devil's purpose was to lead him to Despair but God mercifully deliver'd him If he think it so heinous a Matter for a Godly Man to be vex'd by the Devil perhaps he will also find some fault with Christ who was carried by the Devil into the Mount or with St. Paul that had the Angel of Satan to buffet him Thus the Bishop who seems to have had another Sense of this Matter than this our Adversary I shall only add to this before I come to his particular Instances to my Reader That if any Person Professing Unity with us in whom was began the work of Reformation hath not abode Faithful but run into the Temptations of the Enemy and hath had freakish Actions and Gestures and loose and wild Imaginations and have Falsly and Blasphemously Ascrib'd them to be the Operations of the Spirit of God We are not accountable for them as the Apostle was not for those in his time who were given up to strong Delusion because they receiv'd not the Truth in the Love of it All that we find the Apostle did to them that we have done to such that is testifie against them and their ways For we do not own such Inspirations as have not for their Origen the Holy Spirit and are warranted by the Scriptures of Truth I come now to the Snake's Instances His first is thus p. 288. John Gilpin of Kendal in Westmerland has given us a strange and wonderful account of his own Possession by the Devil while he was a Quaker in a Book which he Entituled The Quakers shaken Printed 1653. In Answer to this there was Published in that same Year 1653 a Book Entituled The Standard of the Lord c. to which Book E. Burroughs writ the Epistle to the Reader In which speaking of this same John Gilpin p. 2. he saith By hearing of the Truth declared through the Witness in his own Conscience he was Convinced of the Everlasting Truth c. This was very well but it seems he continued not under that Convincement for he ran out into Airy Imaginations and Imitations as E. B. saith who speaking further of him says I was mov'd to go to see him and his Will was at liberty got above the Judgment though the Judgment was upon the head of the Beast in him and a true Power working but his Will not being kept in Subjection it led him into Impatiency and into Rebelling against the Lord who was made manifest to destroy the unruly Will and wandring Mind And then I did declare against him and shewed him the deceit where it lodged in him Thus E. B. who it hereby appears did shew the Man his state and did also deny him and his doings But the Matter issu'd thus This Gilpin continu'd to go on in that same Rebellion of which E. B. speaks so that he quite run from under the Judgment and Gilpin in this his worst Estate endeavoured with the help of the then Priest of Kendal in a Book Publish'd under Gilpin's Name to charge the Wicked and Blasphemous Actions and Sayings which he had been guilty of upon that Principle of the Light of Christ in Men which the Quakers Profest though Gilpin being Charg'd with it did deny it in these Words I have neither written nor spoken any thing against the Quakers So that by this it should seem the Book was writ by the Priest and Gilpin's Name put for a Cover And if it had not been so but that Gilpin did really write it there was a fair opportunity given them to have prov'd it because the Words above-mentioned spoke by Gilpin were Publish'd in the Answer before-mention'd Entituled The Standard of the Lord c. which came forth in the same Year which that Book Subscrib'd by Gilpin did Ibid. Attested by the then Mayor of Kendal the Minister of Kendal and several other Persons It was not strange that the Mayor of Kendal should be procur'd to Subscribe what the Priest had so eminent a Hand in though he owns it no further than a Fellow Subscriber But as this was an early Instance viz. 1653. wherein the Priest did lead the Civil Magistrate into such a Mistake which a prudent Inquiry wou'd have prevented so we have often since found they have endeavoured to Ride the Civil Power blindly into Mistakes and Prejudices against us and where such have been able to Hood-wink a Magistrate we have seldom found so little disadvantage from it as is the setting his Name to Partial and Untrue Relations of Fact In fine the Case is thus Gilpin as before related was once under a Convincement of Truth but he abode not under the Judgment of God manifested in him for Sin but started aside as a broken Bow He got into Wild Blasphemous and Airy Whimsies and Notions In all this he was presently denied and testified against For Edw. Burroughs did while this Gilpin was under these Extravagancies deny him and we were sufficiently discharg'd of him And what may further shew the Degeneracy of the Man was the Dissoluteness of his After-time for some Actions of which a Warrant was it seems Issuâ—d out for his Apprehension but he like this Snake ran away from it as is express'd in the Book aforesaid which was writ in Answer to him The Snake's next Story is of one James Milner mention'd p. 66. fore-going This Man and some others did as the former start aside from under the Judgment but the Event was not the same as is seen in G. F's Journal p. 103. where speaking of this Man and his Condition he saith James Milner and some of his Company had true Openings at the first but getting up into Pride and Exaltation of Spirit they run out from Truth I was sent for to them and was mov'd of the Lord to go and shew them their Goings forth And they came to see their Folly and Condemn'd it and came into the way of Truth again That he did see and condemn his Folly was very well and it was yet better for him that he return'd into the way of Truth Ibid. p. 289. But then as an Excuse for his false Prophesies and his Blasphemies in calling himself Christ c. he G. F. makes this Comical Apology In some things his mind runn'd out and that he Condemns and yet these wicked Men will go tell the Nation of it Great Mystery Page 298. It is not very Comical but very Provoking to find one who
pretends to be a Lover of Souls to be really a Hater of Truth and a gross Perverter of Words Is it any Excuse for False Prophesies or Wild Whimsies to say of those who are guilty of them That they are got up into Pride and Exaltation of Spirit and that they are run out from Truth I think it is not but is on the contrary a Sound and Substantial Denial of them as it was an evidence of their Return who had so been guilty when from a sight of and sorrow for the Wickedness they had been guilty of they did Condemn their Wickedness and return into the Way of Truth which they had forsaken and when Erring Persons are so return'd it is no less than Wickedness imperiously and by way of Taunt to object to them their past Miscarriages and much more so to throw them Evils so forsaken and repented of at a Community for their Scandal Ibid. p. 289. I will trouble the Reader but with one Instance more Then we are not like to have very many for we have had yet but two And were I dispos'd to vie Numbers with the Snake I could enumerate more pretended Members of the Church of England who have in Wicked and Freakish manner pretended falsly to Revelations and Inspirations Ibid. John Toldervy has Printed a very Punctual Narrative of his Conversion to Quakerism and of the most Astonishing Possession of the Devil in which he was held after his said Conversion even to the Apparitions of Evil Spirits dancing and Singing about him and directing him what he should do and encouraging him in the Principles of Quakerism The Snake has taken up near three pages with the story of this Man of which the foregoing words are the substance which are a complex of falshoods as I shall presently make appear But first I shall desire my Reader to observe that the Snake affirms that the Astonishing Possession of the Devil did encourage this J. Toldervy in the Principles of Quakerism which is so venemous a falshood that nothing short of Envy could lead him to affirm it and that in opposition to the Authority he quotes viz. the Book Foot out of the Snare which is the Book which the Snake here calls a Punctual Narrative and also quotes in p. 290. I will give my Reader some account both of the Man J. Toldervy and his Book above-mentioned from both which it may fully appear how far the Astonishing Possession of the Devil or bewitched Imaginations in which he was was from being either owing to or encouraging of the Principles of Truth which we profess And first for the Man He was one who I shall anon give my Authority for what I say had been zealously affected in divers ways of Worship at length he made a shew of a Convincement upon his Spirit and did come to our Meetings but it was not long before he did discover himself not to have any true work of Regeneration upon his Mind but run out into very strange and wicked Imaginations for which he was soon reproved by the Quakers but he persisting they did separate from him and deny him both by Word and Writing because of his following a Bewitched Spirit The Quakers being thus discharged of him his Wild Imaginations turn'd to Envy and he endeavoured to charge his Crimes upon the Principle of the Light of Christ in Men professed by us in order to which he writes a Book Entituled Foot out of the Snare and to give it greater Grace it hath Eight Warrantees or Subscribers for the truth of it Wherein they pretend to set forth the Manner of his Separation from the Quakers In answer to this of theirs James Naylor wrote a Piece entituled as above Foot yet in the Snare in which he shews and often repeats it that J. Toldervy was denied by the Quakers and that they had Testified against him And for the fuller evidencing that the Quakers had denied him he does in p. 21 22. refer to their Book Foot out of the Sare and says In p. 33. Do you not confess that when he came to the Meeting at the place where the Quakers were shewing the holes he had made in his Thumbs and telling of those Lying wonders which he had been acting many of the Quakers being there all of them Judged him with one Consent charged him to be silent and told him that he was in Darkness and had slain the Witness of God in him Thus by their own Testimony nay by the Testimony of Toldervy himself for he was it seems the Author The Quakers had denied him of which we can desire sure no better proof than his own Confession attested by Eight Witnesses of which Tho. Brooks Tho. Jacomb Geo. Cockaine Joh. Tombs and Will. Adderly were part Having thus shewn that the Quakers did deny and therefore not chargeable with him nor his Actions I shall further shew from the same Authority which hath testified our denial of him as above that those his strange and wicked Imaginations were neither owing to nor encouraging of the Principles of Quakerism in him as the Snake has wickedly said For proof of this see Foot yet in the Snare p. 20. where James Naylor clearing our Principles from this suggestion saith thus quoting their own Book before-mentioned And have not you confessed p. 49. the Cause of these Distractions and Confusions in his Mind was having been zealously affected in divers ways before There was begotten in him much Fleshly Wisdom in which his Hope did rest believing it to be the Holy Spirit revealed in him and that he was covered with Deceit and could glory in that Condition Here in their own Testimony they say he was Covered with Deceit did rest in Fleshly Wisdom and believed it to be the Holy Spirit and in this he had been zealously affected in divers ways which was as themselves say the Cause of his Distractions and Confusions and all this before he came among us and staid not long when he was come But yet further James Naylor does in p. 26. quote them more amply clearing the Quakers Principle from his Delusions where they clear the Truth and say He J. T. being fully persuaded by what he learned from the Quakers of the Truth which was made known by the Light in us which Light is Spiritual and guides out of the Work of the Flesh to worship God in Spirit and Truth he was then to wait out of Thoughts and Imaginations c. And his Understanding being now thus opened he was possessed with much Joy in the Sense of that Love he had received whereupon he was resolved to give all diligence that his Calling and Election may be made sure But being naturally of a hasty and forward Mind and his Resolution in part being a Covenant of his own there was speedily begot in him an extream Fiery Zeal so that in the general he was hastily carried forth before the true Light by which in a short time he became lost in his
Understanding and so the Disputer was raised to Life and that which was for Condemnation having darkned the Light of the Sun form'd it self in the shape of the True Light and so Deceit got the Power and led out of the true Obedience in things before related by which the Simple be-became exceedingly deceived But when he was restored by the Clear Light of Life being guided in that Obedience which was professed by those People among whom he was being the Quakers and his Witness Here is a Clear Testimony that the Truth and Light professed by the Quakers leads out of the Works of the Flesh to worship God in Spirit and in Truth And that by this J. Toldervy's Understanding was opened What hinder'd then that the Work of Regeneration did not go on in him Why they say that he being of a hasty and forward Mind it was in part a Covenant of his own which raised a Fiery Zeal by which he lost his Vnderstanding and thereby the Sun was darkned a very natural consequence of that Covenant which was his own and not of the Spirit of God and here it was that that which was for condemnation formed it self in the shape as they express it of the True Light And thus indeed the Enemy of Man the Devil works in a Mystery to drive Men to make Covenants in their own Wills for their Regeneration which as they can never last so according to the various Disposition of the Person so Covenanting are the extreams which they run into Thus they acknowledge in direct opposition to the Snake that that Deceit which was in J. Toldervy was so far from encouraging him in the Principles of Quakerism that it did lead him out of the True Obedience to that Prinliple which they say he learned from the Quakers Ibid. p. 291. He made a sort of a half Vindication and half Recantation not of the matters of Fact of his aforesaid Delusions for these were undeniable but to free the Quakers from the Imputation and Scandal of them and to clear himself to have been and still continue a true Quaker which makes the Cause much worse on their side Supposing John Toldervy did endeavour to clear himself to have been and still continue a true Quaker at a time and in things wherein we had by Word and Writing denied him I pray how shall that make the Cause much worse on our side any more than it makes bad of the side of the Church of England because the Snake a former Scandalous Member does pretend to have been and still continue a True Member in her Communion But to proceed the Snake is here forc'd to acknowledge that J. Toldervy did free the Quakers from the Imputation and Scandal of his Delusions which whether he had or not the Quakers had freed themselves from them by denying of him both by Word and Writing And as he stood thus denied by them so they could not be chargeable with any of his after Actions But if he had sincerely repented of his great Wickedness and thereby found favour in the sight of God to have restor'd to him the Light of his Countenance and had so been received again into fellowship with those from whom he had been separated this would have been far from making the Cause much worse on their side For with respect to their own satisfaction it would make the Cause much better Because the People of God in all Ages did always rejoice when one that had err'd and stray'd from the Fold did by sincere Repentance return into it again Ibid. p. 292. That same Year viz. the 24th of October 1656. all the Good and Evil Spirits entred into Naylor himself Profane Snake why must both Good and Evil Spirits be thus flouted It shews no true Sense of Religion in one who can with so much ease ridicule both the beginning of all true and saving Religion in Man viz. the entrance of the Good Spirit of God and the beginning of all Misery viz. the entrance of the Evil Spirit into Man But with respect to Jame Naylor and his Great Fall and yet greater deliverance from it I have already spoken from p. 111 to 118. and therefore need not enlarge further here The Snake now turns to Quotations again where in p. 295. he quotes Patrick Levingston in a Piece of his Entituled Plain and Downright Dealing with them that were with us and are gone out from us in p. 10 of which Book P. L. makes an Allusion of the Operations of Physick upon the Body to the Operation of the Spirit or Power of God upon the Soul and shews thence what melting into Tears and Shakings he had known upon his own Body and also what some others had known when the Lord did first appear with a mighty hand as he says p. 9. to bring his People out of Spiritual Egypt in this our Age. And he here goes on and shews that these emotions of Body and terrible breakings the Soul were but for a little time and that the Voice of the Lord was not distinctly discerned there they being only preparatory of that way of Peace Stilness and Quietness in which as they continued obedient they came to be established This briefly is the substance of what the Snake hath pick'd and quoted from p. 10. And I will now shew thee Reader his strange perversion of all this Ibid. p. 296. Now here is a Comparison made betwixt the State of the Quakers from 1650 to 1660. and from thence to this time No Snake the Comparison does not lie in any date of Years but in the Progress of the Work of God in Men. Ibid. Their first State was their time of Physick The first State of all who have been Regenerated and Born again may by allusion be called a time of Purging or Cleansing and so it hath been frequently term'd in Holy Writ Our Saviour speaks of this first State in such Pathetick Terms Mark 3.27 as does evidently denote it to be a State of Trouble For the binding the Strong Man of Sin by the Stonger Power of God is not to be effected while the Soul is at ease and secure in Sin Nor can the Strong Man's Goods be spoil'd in Man unless through Obedience he comes under the Workings of the Power of the Holy Spirit and that will not give Deliverance to Man before he sees the great necessity he is in of a Deliverer Ibid. But there was worse than that For as Levingston here informs us The Voice of the Lord was not distinctly discern'd among them the Mind was so Hurried and tossed so that there was not a clear discerning what might be done or left undone in many things This is a very sad Reckning For what will become of the first Quaker Infallibility This is nothing so Sad a Reckning as the Snake is like to make when he shall account for all that Profaneness Injustice and Hypocrisie which he hath delivered under the gilded pretence of advancing the Glory
of God the Unity of the Church and the Good of Souls But to his Flouting Question What will become of the First Quaker Infallibility I Answer Nothing but well because as I have largely shewn in the Section particularly treating of Infallibility neither the First Quakers nor the Present have ever placed Infallibility in any Man or Men but only in the Spirit of God And the Manifestations of this being given by the Mediation of Jesus Christ to lead Men to Heaven it is absolutely necessary that it be able on it's part Infallibly to answer the End for which it is given Well but if it be asked How comes the Voice of the Lord not to be distinctly discerned Since the Spirit of God is Infallible in its Manifestations to Men Why the Answer is ready because when the Mind is Hurried and Tossed and in the deep Exercise and Affliction because of its condition it cannot yet come to have so clear a discovery and so distinct discerning of the Voice and Will of God as afterwards in its further Growths in his Grace and Truth And the different attainments of such who are turned into the Way of the Lord the Apostle hath exprest by going on from one Degree of Grace unto Another Ibid. p. 297. It seems these Hurryings and Tossings did not come from the Holy Spirit of God The Effects of the Work of the Power and Spirit of God binding the Strong Man and purging out the Old Leaven does much agree with that which is described by the Prophet 1 Kings 19.11 12. and hath sometimes been as with a Great and Strong Wind sometimes as with an Earthquake sometimes as with a Fire before the Still Small Voice hath been heard And the Rage of the Enemy as P. L. saith is not small against the Soul which is redeeming from under his Captivity but endeavours to raise Hurryings and Tossings whereby the mind might be so darkn'd as not distinctly to discern the Voice of the Lord. Now again for Stories And there the Snake bestows 3 Pages about a Story bearing date the 19th of the 8th Month 1654. related by one whom he is contented pro hac vice to call a Minister because his Narration is against the Quakers But when that is over then with all the rest of the Dissenters he is with the Snake but as the Spawn of the Viper But to take him in his Character of Minister He was a Seventh-Day Baptist named Tho. Tillam sometime Resident in the County of Durham where he was Pastor to a People but they because of his Wickedness and Filthiness did cast him out and deny him This same Minister such a one in many respects as the Snake came up to London and wanting Induction to some place he apply'd himself to the then Commissioners for approving and giving Induction such as they then used to Ministers this T. Tillam from them gets a Place in Essex about Colchester and here it is that he spreads this Report This Report one Gyles Firmin another such Minister takes up and puts at the end of a Book of his which he writ against the Quakers and printed 1656. To this Edw. Burroughs did writ an Answer printed the same Year wherein he does positively deny both this Story of Tillam's and that other of Firmin's which the Snake mentions and says it is a Lye Then it was Incumbent upon the Snake's two Ministers Tillam and Firmin to have brought out their Testimonials of the Truth of what they had said but no such thing came nay indeed one of them could not stay for that purpose for he Scandalously run away from his Charge here in Essex to which he had been Inducted as before he was thrown out of his Charge in Durham because of his Scandalous Carriage in it As Witnesses yet living do testifie Snake p. 304. Since the Publishing the 1st Edition of this Book there has been published an astonishing account of some Quaker Witches who prosecuted one Henry Winder and his Wife for their Lives accusing them of Murder from the Mouth of the Lord. And since the Publication of the Snake an Answer hath been published thereto entituled An Old Apostate Exposed manifesting the great Wickedness and Uncleanness of the said H. W. to his lasting Shame and Confusion of Face and had he not been under strange Delusions and hardness of Heart he could hardly have been drawn by his abettors to have given such occasion to make his abominable Actions publick But so great is the Malice of the Snake and such like envious Men that even their own Shame will not deter them from venting their Malice but let them reap the Fruit of their doings and let 's hear the Snake further Ibid. One of them being examined how this Revelation came to her said she could not tell but she was sure it began in her Feet See what Idle and Ridiculous Stories this Snake licks up surely if Satan's Delusions had not began in his Malicious Heart he had never been brought so to vent it with his Pen. Ibid. But the Snake goes on to give an account of matters notoriously infamous of which the said H. W. was by these two Women accused Wherein whether the Women were altogether Wrong and how far the said Winder was Guilty God knows However for some satisfaction to the Moderate Reader hear the said Winder and his Wife what they said then viz. about 1674. under their hands as it is related by T. Cam in the aforesaid Answer p. 6. We acknowledge and confess that we have sinned and transgressed against the Lord God and against his People who have born grievous Burthens for us we must needs confess before you But this know dear Friends that the Enemy wrought in a Mystery in us to the persuading of us that we might do such things and yet live Then through the weakness of the Flesh Sin took occasion and overcame us then Sin being finished it brought forth Death to the Innocent Life which we once lived in Here it 's plain from H. W's own Confession he had been about some foul piece of Work then though now a fit Tool for the Snake's turn However let 's a little further view the account of H. W's matter as we have it in the Old Apostate Exposed page 9 10. I shall now add what is so notoriously known in the Neighbourhood that though the said H. W. be greatly hardned yet I presume he cannot have a Face to deny relating to their great Uncleanness for which they were denyed of us c. So that it seems before H. W. was fit for this Snake's Communion he was fit to be expell'd ours But since the Snake has him let 's shew him further what he has got Old Apostate Exposed p. 10. The said H. W. had her that is now his Wife so great with Child in his first Wife's days that there was but about Six Weeks betwixt the Death of his first Wife and the Birth of that Child However
a good Champion in the Snake's Army and well enough to serve to Revile a People more Righteous than himself and for whom his Iniquities would no longer admit him a Companion and was therefore denied by them p. 10. And though now he is grown so hard in Impiety as to revile them that denied him for his Uncleanness Yet while some little tenderness was remaining he agreed to the Judgment of our Friends against him as may further appear by his own acknowledgment cited also p. 7 8. Thus Be it known to all People unto whom these presents shall be read that I H. W. and A. my Wife do acknowledge and confess before the living God and all People that we have sinned and done that which we ought not to have done in suffering the Temptations of Sin in the Flesh to overcome us So this know all People that it was not because the Quakers Judgment or Doctrine or way of Worship is false that it caused us to fall from them But our Fall was of our Selves So here 's H. W. and his Wife against the Snake his reviving this false matter was to vilifie the Quakers and their Holy Doctrine H. W. confesses to his Shame there Fall was of themselves And on their Heads and his let it rest till they Repent and Ask Pardon of God they for their Transgressions and he for his Revilings on their behalf SECT XX. Of Enthusiasm or Inspiration as said by the Snake to be Owned by the Church of England Ibid. p. 314. THe Word Enthusiasm signifies Inspiration and may mean a good as well as an evil Inspiration I am no more in doubt of the Truth of this than I am certain that the Snake did affirm falsly when in Pref. p. 43. he said There is no Enthusiasm where there is not Pride Ibid. These poor misled Quakers are made to believe that the Church of England does wholly throw off all Inspiration of the Holy Spirit The Snake has told us as above quoted there is no Enthusiasm where there is not Pride And if he would so mislead the poor Quakers as to believe that she does wholly throw off all that it would be in him no less a fault than it is to bely the poor Quakers and mislead his Reader concerning what the Quakers do or do not believe Ibid. I will here briefly set down the Doctrine of the Church of England in this Point To which if the Snake could have truly added and my Agreeable Practice as it would have been for his Credit so it would have dwindled his Libel to a much less bulk than that which his numerous and many fork'd Falshoods have swell'd it to But now he spends 4 or 5 Pages in giving Instances from the Service and Liturgy of the Church of England concerning her Doctrine in this point of Inspiration of the Holy Ghost with which I am so far from being displeased that I could with pleasure have read them all over if he had given as many more and am glad that so Essential a Truth as is the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit is owned by her tho' this is not the first Knowledge I had of it for I have some Years since read the same in her Liturgy And after the Instances he has given of the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit he says p. 319. It is made necessary to every good word and thought and the Cause of all the Good that is in us And we are directed to it to Follow and be Guided by it and are assured that it will lead us to all Truth that is requisite and necessary for our Eternal Salvation It is this which opens the Scriptures to us and our Vnderstandings rightly to apprehend the true sense and meaning of them c. In all this the Snake as he hath said what is agreed to and believed by every Sober Quaker So he hath herein declared the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost to be as Infallible as we believe it is And now before we part from a point in which we do as he says so exactly agree let us a little reason upon it and examine whether he has Squared his foregoing Sections by this Infallible Rule And first I shall observe the Snake says We are directed to it to Follow and be Guided by it and are assured no doubt by a certain Knowledge that it will lead us to all Truth that is requisite and necessary for our Eternal Salvation Supposing this to be true the Snake did very Scandalously not to say worse when he made the Devil as Infallible as any of their Church For in p. 39. speaking of that Light or Knowledge which comes from God which is the Inspiration of the H. Spirit he saith If that Knowledge which comes from God be Infallible then while the Devil follows that Light or Knowledge he must be Infallible And if this be all the Infallibility which the Quakers ascribe to themselves it seems it is all the Snake ascribes to the Church It Distinguishes them not from Wicked Men or Devils This is very hard but there is worse yet For though he does here say That the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost will lead us to all Truth requisite and necessary to our Salvation and so consequently will bring them that follows it to Heaven Yet this they are his own Words p. 40. will no more prove it to be Infallible or sufficient of it self to bring us to Heaven than it will follow that Man cannot die because God breathes into him the breath of Life or that he is Omnipotent because his Strength comes from God These Instances from the Snake though they clash yet in some that follow they will be found to cut one another up by the Roots For here in p. 319. He is very confident That the Church of England does agree with us concerning what we mean by the Light within And I must needs say the same Yet in p. 60. He gives the Light within in which he says we do so much agree with the Church of England a very evil Character and says It does totally root up and destroy all Church Government and Order Nay in p. 96. speaking of this Enthusiasm he says It is Inconsistent to the Government either in Church or State or any Security from all the Dismal and Enthusiastical Murthers Rapines and Outrage of the Zealots among the Jews who went upon the same Principle Fye Snake what the same Principle with the Church These are very ill Characters to recommend that Inspiration in which he is Confident the Church of England does agree with us Indeed he endeavours with a strange Contradiction to make all whole again by adding in the next Words yet shew'd no evil signs of it I would not willingly tire my Reader with Observations of the Snake's Contradictions upon this Head and therefore I shall but gather and add a few more of which this is one worthy of notice That though here in Page 319. he has made
Spirit through the Flaming Sword into the Paradise of God c. And I do Testifie there is no other way to come into it than by obeying the Teachings of Jesus Christ and this Obedience is so far from raising any mad Joy as the Snake does Blasphemously call it that it is Impossible for a Man to have more evident Demonstration of any thing in the World than he may have of his future Happiness if he grows up in Obedience and Faithfulness to Jesus Christ the way that leads to it Ibid. He tells as a wonderful opening to repeat his Cant which the Lord gave to him thus p. 5. About the beginning of the Year 1646 as I was going to Coventry and entring towards the Gate a Consideration arose in me how it was said That all Christians were Believers both Protestants and Papists And the Lord open'd to me that if all were Believers then were all born of God Here was a mighty Discovery And after all the Snake's Prophane Banter of Wonderful Opening and Mighty Discovery It is a great Truth and it was a wonderful Opening in John the Apostle where he testifies 1 John 5.4 Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even your Faith This Divine Truth when it was again opened to G. F. by the Openings of the same Holy Spirit did well deserve to be mentioned by him to shew the Unity and Harmony that there is in its Discoveries the same may be said with respect to that other Opening from the Lord mentioned by the Snake p. 334. which G. Fox mentions p. 5. of his Journal That being bred at Oxford or Cambridge was not enough to fit and qualifie Men to be Ministers of Christ. Which is agreable to what the Apostle testifies Gal. 1.11 12. But I certifie you Brethren that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. What the Apostle does here certifie the Primitive Christians concerning his Commission it pleased God to open to G. Fox was the way and means by which all that were truly his Ministers came to be such And tho' the Snake would suggest and insinuate as if the contrary was never the belief of any one Man in the World It is false nor can those who receive their Ordination from Men either after the mode of the Church of England or otherwise say they neither received it of Man nor were taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Ibid. p. 335. He tells p. 6. at another time it was opened in me That God who made the World did not dwell in Temples made with Hands And this at the first seem'd a Strange Word because both Priests and People use to call their Temples or Churches Dreadful Places and Holy Ground Thus G. Fox upon which the Snake adds a Prophane Lie It seems Fox did not know before but that God dwelt in a Church as a Man does in a House so as to be lock'd up and to be no where else when he was there No Snake there seems no such thing of G. F. but if the People who continue to call them Dreadful Places and Holy Ground do know no better their Superstitious Ignorance if it be as described by the Snake will much of it be laid to the Priests Charge who have so blindly led the People But if none of all this Gross Blindness there is yet a Reprovable Misapprehension not grounded upon any Example or Authority from the Gospel-Day so far as it 's recorded in the New Testament That is calling their Churches Dreadful Places and Holy Ground from a supposition that after their Consecration there is a kind of Inhabitation or more Immediate and Powerful Presence of God in them by vertue of it This Reprovable Misapprehension as Peoples Minds did continue under it so they were therein liable to let it increase to a Superstitious Reverence And God in the Calling Forth of his Servant did in this as in other things open his Understanding and let him see according to the Testimony of the Proto-Martyr Acts 7.48 The Most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands And he there further shews that Consecrations of Houses are vain Nor indeed is there from the Authority of the New Testament any Holiness to be attributed to Place The Doctrine there deliver'd is 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and agreeable to this is 1 Cor. 6.19 2 Cor. 6.16 Ibid. And such are all his Discoveries all his New Light even this Fundamental Distinguishing Principle of the Quakers of the Light within The Discoveries before-mentioned I have shewn to be agreeable to the Scripture and the Snake hath been so far from offering to prove them otherwise that he would have it supposed they are the Concessions of every Man in his Right Wits Where is then the Objection Why they are Truths of Common Notice or in the Snake's Prophane Railery they are Notable Discoveries the Commonest Notions in the World which G. F. has here taken for Supernatural Revelations and because the Snake supposes them to have been the Common Knowledge of Mankind therefore he Concludes they were no Openings from the Spirit of Truth in G. Fox But this is a false Conclusion because he may find in Holy Writ that the Supernatural Revelations Discoveries and Openings which it hath pleased God to give to particular Persons have frequently been such Truths Thus the Apostle Paul had a Supernatural Revelation in answer to his Petition My Grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 And I would know of the Snake who then there was that had received the Christian Faith that did not believe as much And had the Corinthians been as Blasphemously Prophane as this our Adversary they might have queried in his words p. 335. Why so sottishly Ignorant as to take the Commonest Notions in the World for such Wonders such Supernatural Revelations But how common or mean soever this Snake may judge many of those Truths to be which the Holy Spirit hath and doth at this day reveal and discover upon the Spirits of those who are obedient to it in the Openings which it gives of the Scriptures I must needs say that were it possible for a Man Distinctly to remember and repeat the whole Old and New Testament so that all the Truths therein contained were of easie and common notice to him yet the advantage he would thence reap would be nothing in comparison to the advantage he may reap from having but some of the Truths therein recorded opened upon his Spirit by the Holy Spirit which did at first Dictate them And the Reason is because men cannot be made Holy by Imitation but only by Regeneration which as it is the work of the Holy Spirit so that work is began in what the Scripture calls the Day of Small Things The first
Discoveries are often small not only to try the Obedience but to encourage to Faithfulness And they who will not thankfully receive its lowest Manifestations and obey the Discoveries of the Light of Christ in the forsaking and denying vain Honours and Language are not likely to be obedient to greater Discoveries if they had them Ibid. p. 332. But G. Keith for his Christian Doctrine of a Christ without was condemn'd by their Late Yearly Meeting in their Bull of Excommunication It was not for Christian Doctrine but Unchristian Practice which G. Keith was denied as the Testimony given against him does fully shew in these words George Keith of late hath been and yet is acted by an Unchristian Spirit which hath moved and led him to stir up Contention and Strife in the Church of Christ and to cause Divisions Separations and Breaches amongst them that Profess the Truth and that the tendency of Divers of his late Writings and Actings hath been to expose the Truth and Friends thereof What has Christian Doctrine to do with such Unchristian Actions They have no agreement and this was the Cause there assigned of our denying him The Snake now gives p. 333. part of a Letter which he says W. P. sent to R. Turner of Pensilvania in which speaking of G. Keith are these words I love his Spirit and honour his Gifts and his Peculiar Learning especially Tongues and Mathematicks his Platonick Studies too all being sanctified to the Truth 's Service which is worthy to have the Preheminence Upon which the Snake says here will be a sad account of that Infallible Discerning Spirit which the Quakers do appropriate to themselves To which I shall first say that it is utterly false that the Quakers have ever appropriated to themselves the Spirit of Discerning It is only appropiated to the Holy Spirit and what true Discerning of Spirits is given to Men must be from that Fountain Now as to the Letter the words above quoted do well consist with that Spirit of Discerning because in order of Time it appears not but that that Letter was writ some Years before the Testimony of the Yearly Meeting against G. K. which I have before quoted And if G. Keith's accomplishments in Learning had continued to have been all sanctified to the Truth 's Service as it is there exprest which was the ground of that Love therein declared He could not have stirred up Contention and Strife nor caus'd Divisions Separations and Breaches which was the reason of his being denied But further If that Letter was writ when there was some small beginnings of Misunderstanding betwixt G. K. and those in Pensilvania Yet the words of that Letter referring the Love declared to his Spirit and Learning to be as all are sanctified c. they are very safe as G. K. would also have been had he kept to the Holy Spirit which sanctifies and that would both have prevented further Disturbance and removed all Misunderstanding Ibid. p. 336. I do here demand Reparation in the behalf of the Church of England But particularly in behalf of one whom they have most Scandalously Robb'd The Person wronged is Mr. Selden and the Thief is Francis Howgil A Snake turn Knight Errant the Scandal of the Church presume to set up for her Representative O Monstrum But to his Ridiculous Arrogance I do here demand c. What mighty I is this What Ratling Snake Why an Anonymous who is as fear ful of putting his Name to his Demand as he is to appear before Justice One who Jugler-like plays Tricks in the Dark Therefore sure no true Pleni-Potent of the Church not one Legally Delegated by Her And he is not less the Church's Delegate than he is John Selden's who in his time was one of the Glories of this Nation one whose Living Labours may at once endear and preserve his Memory with those who know his Works And with what Forehead one so differently qualified as is the Snake should pretend to demand Satisfaction if the Demand were just in his Behalf is no small wonder But the Demand is Arrogant Trifling and Impudent in that he says F. Howgil has stoln whole Paragraphs verbatim out of J. Selden's History of Tythes I have with what care I can examined the Charge by comparing the Books and cannot find one whole Paragraph so taken I find that F. H. does in some places treat of Tythes in the same manner as J. Selden does and the Books which are his Authorities he puts mostly in his Margin And among others which he quotes J. Selden by Name is one in his History of Tythes and upon this Subject of Tythes he is twice quoted by F. Howgil viz. p. 482 and in p. 567. which is sufficient to shew that F. H. is no Plagiary But since the Snake hath thus taken upon himself to be a Knight Errant I will direct him to a piece of Work of the sort he here speaks of and if he can get satisfaction he may pretend to be Captain of the Band of Knight Errants He may find it in John Daille's Treatise of the Right use of the Fathers first Book p. 104. In these words St. Hilary St. Ambrose and others who robbing poor Origen without any Mercy do not yet do him the Honour so much as to name him scarcely This is certain that you shall find in St. Ambrose many times whole Periods and whole Pages too taken out of St. Basil but unless my Memory fail me very much you shall never find him once named there Thus he I spare to give more such Instances till the Snake shall here have demanded Reparation in due form But now we are speaking upon the vice of Stealing it may not be improper to remind him that it had been highly necessary for him to have surveyed himself and considered with what Face he could unjustly object Theft to F. Howgil because he speaks of the same Subject in the same manner with John Selden whom he also names While himself if he had been duly prosecuted for Theft must of necessity have been hang'd if at least the Law of the Country where he stole the Virgin whom he made his Unhappy Wife be in that case agreeable to ours But as to the Punishment I shall not now enquire nor yet what Reparation he made to the injur'd Parents or Relations But as to the Fact it had the Forms of Theft in that he had not their good leave before he took her and whether the Canons do not declare the Theft of Souls the Stealing of a Wife to be in the same Class of Crimes in which himself puts Obedience to the King de Facto It may be proper for him to consider which if he find and that he squares himself in his Repentance for that by his practice in this his Repence will be as singular as his tenacious Disobedience hath been observable But of this now no more nor had there been so much nay here none at all had
Substance with God and by consequence Essentially Equal even to God I still in good Conscience deny the Assertion and such self-advancement of the Creature unto such Equality with its Creator whatever any among us has said of the Divine Spirit or Breath of Life which made Man a Living Soul as for the Equality thereof with God and as of his Being I deny that this was ever intended of the Creature Man that he was either one Being or Substance with God or Essentially Equal with God for that were to confound Created Beings with the Increated Tho' Man as made a Living Soul and created in the Image of God had in him something of that Divine Nature and Being which gave Him his Life and Being I really think I have sufficiently and briefly answered this matter in my Antidote in divers places being a reitterated charge of Blasphemy falsly against the Quakers that they so advance themselves as aforesaid to be One Person and Substance with God A body would think the Man should have proved these very words of the Charge upon us or else not so often repeat it with aggravations as he has shamefully done in such Expressions as these viz. that he does not think that any humane Government can be secure of Men in whose Power it is to scrue themselves up to such blasphemous heights of Enthusiasm which he deems the height of Madness which I took notice of and justly reprehended in my Antidote p. 87 88. And I dare further add in order to clear our Principle of Sinless Perfection as attainable through the Grace of God in Jesus Christ That although we own an Essential Equality between our Heavenly Father His Son and Holy Spirit and not such an Equality between the creature Man and his Creator yet such a nearness and likeness between the Heavenly Father and his Dear Children as perfection of Holiness and Purity if they attain to the fulfilling of these Doctrines Be ye Perfect or as some have it ye shall therefore be Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect Matt. 5.48 And be ye merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful Luke 6.36 And every one that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 John 3.3 And if any among us hath writ of them who are perfect in Christ Jesus being led by his Spirit as in that sense Equal I understand Equal only as like unto God or in Vnion with him being united unto him by his Spirit as he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit Our own Principle and Distinction in these matters justly considered I do not think that either my self or any Friend whose sense I explain deserves Bedlam as the Snake would infer upon me p. 358. III. It 's a positive falshood that G. Fox and the rest of us do positively assert all these things charged on him and us before in the Snake or assent to his pretended Proofs thereof p. Ibid. Where does he or we positively assert of our selves that we are One Person or Substance with God I find not these words asserted but the contrary Neither is his Reprinting all his pretended Proofs in his Second Edition of the Snake any full Reply to my Answer wherein I detect his fallaciously Imposing such Words and Terms upon us as are none of ours nor agreeable to our Principles as in the before-mentioned and many others And as positive a Falshood it is That G. Whitehead has omitted all the Proofs in the Snake that is almost of the whole Book The Judicious or Serious Reader that shall peruse my said Antidote in Answer to the First Edition of the Snake may clearly see the Contrary But because quoth he the Quakers shall not complain of being thus put off I do intend to make a particular Reply and to follow G. Whitehead through every single Point that he touches for this End especially that this being the last cast of the Quakers and all the defence they have to make I may so plainly detect it as to leave them without Excuse and by the blessing to convince all of them except those who are resolved not to be persuaded though they were persuaded but hope to disarm them c. p. 358 359. Upon all which 't is observed First On the first part of these pretences and boastings How comes G. W's Answer either to need or deserve such a particular Reply or to be followed through every single Point that he touches If his Answer or said Antidote be no Answer but the name of an Answer and nothing to the purpose but shuffling c. as he hath already given judgment p. 355. tho' before conviction it seems 't is so much to purpose that it will make him some work if he still think it worthy to prosecute his intention upon and that through every single Point too Secondly He 's Egregiously mistaken to conclude 't is either the last cast of the Quakers or all the defence they have to make neither may I take upon me the sole defence of the Quakers so called nor do I so abound in my own sense as if no other were capable of making any further or other defence For God having diversities of Gifts hath raised up many in defence of his Gospel and Truth according to their several Gifts among us blessed be his Name and I hope he will raise up more faithful Witnesses Thirdly What detection or conviction this boasting Person can make or work upon us by his fallible and lying Spirit may be easily supposed How shall we believe that he can work or effect such great matters upon us by his scoffing at us about the Light and Infallibility as the Quaker Light and Quaker Infallibility Fourthly And by what Power or Force thinks he to disarm us of our Armour of Light or our Spiritual Weapons No no Neither he nor the Devil his Master the Prince of Darkness shall ever be able to disarm any one that believes in and sincerely obeys the Light of Christ amongst us who are true Children of the Light These his empty Boastings and fruitless Attempts will evaporate and vanish like Smoak Let God arise and his enemies be scattered Let them also that hate him flee before him as Smoak is driven away c. Psal. 68.2 3. and 37.20 IV. To his Alledging G. W. in his Answer to Satan Disrob'd bestows not two leaves upon the Discourse of Water Baptism nor attempts to answer so much as one single Objection or to remove one Stone of that Foundation upon which the outward Baptism is built p. 359. This is as frivolous and impertinent as many other his Reflections are false for he may see that upon that Subject I have bestowed five leaves in the Antidote p. 116 to 126. wherein his Arguments are detected and the Invalidity thereof and the great Stress he lays upon the Type discovered and the thing opened according to Scripture but his sign of Sprinkling Infants by him
evaded and left without defence V. My passing by many of the Snake's dirty Stories and rambling Stuff against us argues not the Quakers way of Answering Books to be Fallacious Methods nor that their cause would bear a fair and clear Answer nor yet any danger of falling into any Snares the Snake had laid against us p. 360. For the reason of my passing by much of his foul dirty Stuff was singly because I thought it not worth spending my time not having then so much to spare in repeating the same or to follow his frequent repetitions thereof tho' I designed not to prevent any other that had more time from a fuller scrutiny into his abuses My Antidote was against the Venom or most Virulent Parts and Foul Abuses of the Snake in the Grass and not to every Paragraph nor to each Section I finding many if not most of them in substance fully answered long before in divers Books of ours Neither was mine a General and Evasive Answer but special and particular to many particular and chief Objections and Falshoods forged against us as a People and against divers and particular Persons abused by this Adversary Besides I have the less reason to value his Work so far as to take cognizance of every particular Babble Tattle and Story in it seeing he durst not shew himself or his Name to his Work as the Author thereof But if he has gone under sundry Names as some say 't will be the more difficult to find out his true Name He tells of the wrathful Proud Spirit of the Quakers and that there i. e. in his First Edition Sect. V. and Sect. XVII of his Second Edition of the Snake there are some of the most sensless and venomous Expressions against their Adversaries that ever came out of the Mouth of Man while they pretend to be the very meek of the Earth c. But G. W. in his Answer says not a word to this matter c. p. 361. This Man casts his own Faults in the back end of the Wallet and those he thinks he sees in others in the fore end he forgets what venomous Expressions and furious Defamations he has used against others more especially against the Quakers so called Let him review his 18th and 21st Sections and divers others in his Second and Third Edition and see what sweet Expressions and mild Language he hath treated the Quakers with as Bloody Devils Furious Cursed Spirit Possessed by the Devil Quakerism Conjuration Witchcraft and Conjuration Enthusiastick Madness Blasphemers Traytors Rebells c. cum multis aliis Is not this sweet Language trow ye and rare courtly Treatment to convince and regain us into the Arms of his Mother Church and these with abundance more expressions from a Person that as he would be thought a Man of a very Good Nature and Sweet Temper he commends unto us Kind and Sweet Expressions as natural to Love and Good Nature as Furious Spightful Envious and other grating and violent Passions do naturally vent themselves in the like wicked and hateful Ebullitions of a distorted Soul as in his 17th Section But what most sensless and venomous Expressions have the Quakers used against their Adversaries He recites some of them as he thinks them such in the same 17th Section of his Second Edition to shew the venom and nastiness of the Quakers Spirit as he venomously asperses them as the Devil was in thee given up to the Devil's Power Raveners from Christ Wolves Dogs Equivocating Deluding Hypocrites Conjurers Thieves Robbers Antichrists Witches Devils Serpents Vipers Ministers of the Devil c. And these he puts down as some of the most Venomous of Quakers Expressions against their Adversaries to shew the venom and nastiness of their Spirit Tho' the most of these Expressions were Characters given in Holy Scripture to some sorts of wicked People who were so greatly degenerated from good Nature and Innocency as they are said to be of their Father the Devil and others were termed dumb Dogs and greedy Dogs too Isa. 56.10 11. and Ravening Wolves Generation of Vipers Serpents Mat. 23.33 Thieves Robbers Evil Beasts Sons oâ— the Sorceress Seed of the Adulterer and Whore Isa. 56.10 11. and Chap. 57.2 3. And did not Paul say O Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you Gal. 3.1 I would ask this Adversary if these Characters were venomous expressions or proceeded from a nasty venomous Spirit Let him answer in his next against the Quakers and see if any of them has used worse Expressions than his own or so hard as Bloody Devils Traytors Witches c. VI. It is not inherent in the Quakers to use such hard Expressions against all their Adversaries as he would insinuate p. 361. but only some have given Invidious and bitter Enemies of Truth their due Characters suitable to their Extreamly Degenerate State as Dogs Wolves Generation of Vipers Serpents c. as to Fury and Implacable Malice of Spirit 'T is unjustly cast upon us 't is his own Spirit that appears both Furious and Implacably Malicious against us He 's not willing to see his own bitterness and invectiveness whilst he unjustly charges me there-with for telling him his own as a Scandalous Liar Impudent Sculking Vile Mercenary Dissembling Hypocrite through whom the Devil and Malice does invent and produce Terms and Characters i. e. against us the People called Quakers These no doubt touch and offend him But I am fully pursuaded never an Adversary that I have read has writ more bitterly and maliciously against us nor more in reviling Treatment scurrilous and contemning Language than this Author of the Snake has done To my charging him with shamefully defaming us as a People under as Gross Terms and Characters as the Devil and Malice could invent Antidote p. 44. He Answers Ay But the Devil is in it George he has proved them too and so plain that thy Excuses confirm it the more p. 362. See the Levity of the Man and how he Glories in his Shame in his work of Envy which he grants the Devil is in who is the Author of Lyes and Father of Lyars he writes now against me like one in a great Rage and Fury Ibid. accusing me with Sensless Ribaldry against him comparing me to a Dogg that Breaks his Teeth upon the Stone thrown at him Sensless Lyes Rancâ—r and Venom of Spirit Effeminate and ungovernable Passion Which Reviling does not touch me to move me to any such Passion Anger and Malice as he falsly Imagines of me Having long since learned Patiently to suffer Reproach and to Rejoyce when Persecuted and Defamed for Christ's sake I bless his Holy Name and Power wherein my Life and Safety is over my Persecutors His pretending To speak in behalf of G. Keith only so far as he maintains the true Christian Doctrine against me and my Friends is to render us Opposers of the True Christian Doctine which is a General Aspersion without Conviction and G. K. has given contrary Testimony
the disingenious Snake both to laugh Scornfully Lye and Flatter because he acknowledges not for his Guide the Holy and Infallible Spirit of God But that W. P. laughs not as is falsly said we will now see Ibid. p. 37. W. P. in a sheet of his Entituled A Winding Sheet for Controversie ended catches up Hen. Hedworth for saying he had been mistaken in the good Opinion he had before of Mr. Penn 's Judgment and Conscience How can he chuse says Mr. Penn who denys Infallibility But if mistaken before why not in the Quakers now And so ad infinitum being fallible Judgment and Conscience in respect of Matters Spiritual in Articles of Faith can only be certainly and knowingly judged of by the Spirit of God and what Man soever shall judge of these things without the assistance thereof must of necessity be mistaken for the reason which the Apostle has given 1 Cor. 2.11 For the things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God And if Hen. Hedworth did by Opinion not the assistance of the Spirit of God judge of W. Penn's Judgment and Conscience no marvel if he were mistaken and if by the same medium he would Judge of the Quakers he was equally lyable to be also mistaken in them and so ad infinitum in all his natural Guessings about Spiritual Things and so must this Snake also Ibid. p. 38. Quoted from p. 3. Sect. 2. of W. P's Winding Sheet c. He vindicates what G. F. had asserted of the Quakers Infallibility for having repeated these words of G. F. which were put as an Objection against him How can ye be Ministers of the Spirit and not be infallible And how can they but delude the People who are not infallible He makes this reply I Answer says he G. F's words stand immoveable for ever And he gives this strange reason to support himself and G. F. For says he He that is a Minister of the Spirit is Infallibly so and in that Ministry is Infallible otherwise the Spirit 's Ministry is Fallible I have here been large in transcribing the whole Quotation that the Reader may see whether the Wild Consequences which the Snake does falsly suggest can naturally follow from the Doctrine aforesaid His Consequences are these Ibid. p. 38. That if any Man who is Lighted by the Sun stumble or miss his way the fault is in the Sun which shewed him a false Light what else can be the meaning of that saying If a Minister be not infallible then the Ministry of the Spirit is fallible To make God himself Fallible rather than we should be Infallible O wretched false and perverse consequence of this Snake But truly and easily following is this Consequence If a Man who is Lighted by the Sun stumble or miss his way the fault is not in the Sun that shewed him a true Light but the fault is in his neglecting of it And according to this the meaning of that saying If a Minister of the here the Snake has basely and falsly left out the word Spirit be not infallible then the Spirits Ministry is Fallible The meaning is this God the Holy Spirit is Infallible and those whom he qualifies fits and prepares for his Ministry such are Infallibly assisted to be Ministers of the Spirit But if any who have been so assisted depart from the assistance of the Holy Spirit such in their Ministry are not Infallible tho' the Spirit is Ibid. p. 38. Quoted from Winding Sheet p. 4. Sect. 3. He roundly checks his Opponent H. Hedworth saying I bestowed 32 pages to prove G. F's Spirit to be Infallible for that belongs simply to God alone and then those that are Led by it which was my Question in which sense he is and all such persons are Infallible as he himself confesseth c. Here says the Snake H. Hedworth is made Infallible too But that is false for the words are plain that those that are Led by the Holy Spirit are infallibly Led By this G. F. might be infallibly Led by this any other may be infallibly Led This Hen. Hedworth hath confessed this is what W. P. saith but he could not say H. H. was infallible Because he had quoted him in p. 37. denying of infallibility Ibid. p. 39. Nay the Devil himself is infallible at this rate for he has his Knowledge as well as Being from God Knowledge is Light And if that Knowledge which comes from God be infallible then while the Devil follows that Light or Knowledge he must be infallible And if this be all the Infallibility which the Quakers ascribe to themselves it distinguishes them not from Wicked Men or Devils Profane perversion The Almighty God by his Almighty Fiat did create the several Species of Beings and Creatures and furnished each according to the order in which he placed them To Angels and Men he gives Knowledge and Understanding in their several Degrees by which they might answer the end of their Creation But some Angels and all Men have fallen yet have not thereby lost all that Knowledge which by the Degree of their Beings they had But in their fallen estate employ what Knowledge they have to other purposes than those for which it was given Hence the Devil goes about seeking whom he may Devour 1 Pet. 5.8 And the Devil did follow his Knowledge when in Mat. 4.5 8. he tempted our Saviour And did know that had our Saviour worshipped him he had been conquered Yet the Devil was not herein infallible Nay the Devils believe and tremble from the Knowledge which they have of the Eternal God and their own Eternal Damnation How profane Reader must it be to suppose that this their Knowledge makes them infallible that is guided by the Holy Spirit of God Which none can be unless obedient to it But the Infallibility which does distinguish us from Wicked Men and Devils and which we say is possessed by us Is no other than this That whereas all Men are fallen short of God's Glory and are by Nature Children of Wrath. Man cannot be restored out of this estate but by the benefits of the Propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ outwardly slain by which Sacrifice our High-Priest who was touched with the feeling of our Infirmities hath put Man into a capacity of accepting his Mediation And in order to our reconciliation with God hath given to every one a manifestation of the Infallible Holy Spirit in which he did the Will of the Father To this manifestation such as are obedient are infallibly led in all things that concern Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life which neither Devils nor Wicked Men can be because disobedient to it See Reader how much the Jugler this Snake plays in endeavouring to obtrude under a shew of reason a most dangerous notion and directly contrary to all Revealed Religion which doth agree that the Light and Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son is able as our Saviour saith to lead into all Truth
the Sealing his own Testament with his Blood For if he had then all who are not in Communion with the Jews at this Day are Schismaticks and which is worse the Snake says it is from the Devil Ibid. p. 59. And the Apostles after our Saviour frequented the Jewish Temple Luke 24.53 And observed their hours of Publick Worship Acts 3.1 This Adversary would here falsly and Hypocritically insinuate as if the Apostles hereby joined in Communion with the Jews which was against the whole Scope of their Commission The Business of the Apostles in the Temple and wheresoever else their Lots were was to preach up Faith and Salvation through Repentance in and by that Jesus whom the Jews had Crucified For this purpose they went to the Jewish Temple and no wonder they went at the hour of Prayer because then they might find the People together That this was the Reason why they went at the hour of Prayer is fully seen by the Sermon of Peter Acts 3.12 to the end of the Chapter Ibid. p. 60. But the Quaker-notion of the Light within and their pretence to Infallibility as consequential to it does totally root up and destroy all Church Covernment and Order For if the Light within be God it must be self-sufficient and not to need the Rules and Directions of any other The Apostles it 's allowed were infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost God in them yet this was so far from rooting up and destroying all Church Government that they by the Directions of the Holy Spirit did give Rules and Directions for Discipline in the Churches where they laboured to bring the People to be partakers with them of the same Promise which was Christ in them the hope of Glory Ibid. p. 60. Vpon this Ground the Quakers broke off from the Church and refused to be under the Government of any outward Authority 'T is false the Quakers broke not off upon this Ground but rather to carry on that Reformation which the Church of England began here when she broke off from Rome Neither did the Quakers ever refuse to be under the Government of any outward Authority for we always for Conscience sake have been Obedient to Authority by actively doing what in Conscience we could or by passively suffering for what in Conscience we could not do Let the Snake say so much for himself if he can and prove it Ibid. p. 60. And thus they stood several years in the Infancy of their State till they began to grow numerous and rich 'T is false we never were even when first a People without Government and Discipline such as might answer the good end of the Gospel of Christ. But that there may be occasion as the Community enlarges to add some points of Discipline for the same good end for which the first were appointed Holy Writ does sufficiently justifie The Disciples while in their Infancy had Acts 2.44 and 4.32 All things common afterwards particular Churches made Contributions for the Poor c. When they grew more numerous the Question of the Circumcision began to trouble the Churches in Syria Antioch and Cilecia concerning which the Apostles sent a Determination by Paul and Barnabas Acts 15.25 And in after times as the Churches and their Necessities did increase the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 8.4 and 10.25 27. did yet enlarge the Borders of that Discipline which was before setled And to other Churches according to their Necessities such was their prescribed Discipline Thus at first while the Professors of Christianity were few there necessities were so too but as their Numbers increased so did their Necessities and the Apostles and Overseers of the Church did provide accordingly that they might in all things adorn the Doctrine of Christ Tit. 2.10 who is a God of Order And as the fullest state of their Discipline was no contradiction to their few first Precepts so neither was a contradiction to the infallible Spirit of God Tit. 11.12 to the Guidings whereof the end of their Preaching was to bring People I come now to his Tenth and Last Head of Distinction Concerning that Church Government which is among the Quakers Ibid. p. 61. The Quakers pretence to Infallibility has been disproved First In particular Instances of several of their Prophets Secondly In whole Floods and Parties for F. Bugg and many others have come openly off from their Communion c. The particular Instances which the Snake hath brought have been above sufficiently disproved being either falsly or insufficiently by him pretended But had they been all such as the Snake hath pretended yet then they couâ—â— not have answered his purpose to overthrow the Infallibility of the Spirit of God as is also largely before declared Secondly That whole Floods and Parties have left us F. Bugg is with the Snake an Instance and indeed a particular single weak one But had the Floods and Parties been much greater than ever yet any were that did Apostatize and backslide from us They may indeed be Instances of such Backsliders as those mentioned 2 Pet. 2.22 but no Argument that the Holy Spirit of God is not Infallible for as by the power of that in times past these backsliders were in some degree washed so had they continued under its Guidings it would have made them altogether clean Whereas by deserting it they are returned to wallow in the Mire again This Through Disobedience hapned to many in the Primitive times Nay so general was the Defection and Backsliding of that People that the Holy Spirit expresseth it by the Church going into the Wilderness For Darkness and Apostacy did overspread all Lands Ibid. p. 62. Now if their above-told pretences to Infallibility do hold then it will follow that these their former Opinions which the Separatists now condemn were true Then and false Now. Nay that they are both true and false even now because some Quakers do hold them to be true A fine Conclusion and spakes thus much If the Declared Claim of the Church of England to Loyalty do hold then it will follow that that Declared Claim which the Snake and other such Separates now condemn was true then and false now Nay that it is both true and false even now because that Church doth still declare that Claim Thus Reader thou seest the folly of this Snake's reasoning and it cannot be otherwise when Men shall attempt to prove by the precarious and evil practice of Particulars the Unsoundness of Principles Good Principles do always abide the same whatsoever the Practice of their Professors may be Thus the Grace and Spirit of God continues Infallible let whosoever will backslide from it and Loyalty continues to be Loyalty still if the Snake never practice it Ibid. p. 62 63. But if Keith and Bugg were true Quakers then true Quakers are not Infallible And then G. Fox c. who said they were Infallible were led by the Spirit of Delusion and not the Spirit of Truth Keith and Bugg with whosoever else
be known which is also a very great Truth that we have towards all Governours utterly denied all Fase Dealing and have dealt faithfully and plainly with every one without favour or partiality reproving and blaming every one for their Faults shewing every one their Dangers and warning every one by the Fall of others that went before them to beware of shun and turn from those Evils which brought ruine upon the former But they never joined with fell in with acted with sought or accepted Places of Profit or Trust from any of them which the Fawning Priests and some Professors did and therefore as with very great Truth and Boldness they might and did say all that the Snake has quoted above So with like Truth and Boldness they say more which the Snake has cut out least while he remember'd their Faithfulness his relucting Mind should object his own past Treachery The words as they stand in the place he quotes from are these Treason Treachery and False Dealing we do utterly deny False Dealing Surmising or Plotting against any Creature upon the Face of the Earth and speak the Truth in plainness and singleness of Heart If the Snake could for himself in truth say so much it would be a brave Testimony I come now to a Book of George Bishops Entituled The Warnings of the Lord to the Men of this Generation Printed 1660. Under the Title of which Book because of Directions to two Places at which it was then sold the Snake says they did industriously spread their Treasons But I would know of him why a Warning to Peace Love and Vnity and Caution against Persecution and such this Book is may not at least be disposed of at as many publick Places as his Defamatory Libels or as his Seditious ones was at private Places But now from the Manner of its Disposal we come to the Matter of the Book The Snake begins with p. 27. of this Book and quotes thus p. 228. Beware of falling under this Spirit or of thinking the Breach between you can be healed for I declare it to you from the Lord That it is irreconcileable it cannot it will not be healed Thus far the Snake quotes and by a dash strikes out about three following Lines which are these Yea the day will come and now is wherein it will be said we would have healed Babylon but she would not be healed let us depart every one to his own place And now upon a Consideration of these Lines what more can be the meaning than that that separation and distance which was between the Spirits and Interest of the Conquerors and Conquered was irreconcileable And the Breach of their Contention was such as could not be healed with the peaceable and quiet possession of those who were then uppermost viz. in the Year 1659. which some might then either foolishly hope or wish But now the Snake after his Dash at which he left out the Lines above-mention'd continues his Quotation thus Therefore in the Power and Dread of the Almighty stand and bear over it viz. that Spirit of Persecution which would vainly hope a Reconciliation Crush it to pieces for that Spirit of which G. Bishop is here speaking had persecuted and afflicted and in many ways made Men to suffer for their Tender Consciences Stamp it to Powder i. e that Spirit of Persecution But the Forgery of the Snake is remarkable here for that after the words last above-quoted he puts an c. and then goes on as if what followed in his Quotation did follow in the same order in the Book from which he quotes it but it is far otherwise for the Lines which he here makes to follow do in that Book precede the beginning of his Quotation eleven or twelve Lines and by the like packing and transposing of Lines which this Snake uses a Man may make the Decalogue or the Lords-Prayer speak to answer any purposes which the wicked Projector shall design Ibid. p. 229. Yet in their Declaration to Him the King after his Return p. 7. they Gravely tell Him We are a People that follow after those things that make for Peace and Vnity and which the Snake has left out it is our Desire that others Feet may walk in the same and here the Snake goes on do deny and bear our Testimony against all Strife and Wars and Contentions c. that is says the Snake when they were beaten and cou'd fight no longer First It is notoriously false that the Quakers did Fight or bear Arms in the Year 1659. or any other Year to the opposing of the Restauration Nor indeed was the Restauration brought to pass by Fighting but there was more immediately the Hand of God in it in that without outward Strength the Powers which then were crumbled and broke to pieces as they were often by our Friends foretold they should having in their several Days and Times of Trial been found to encrease that Yoak which was the Original Pretence of their First Opposition to the King And that it was always our Principle to follow after those things that make for Peace and Unity and have desired that others might walk in the same and did bear our Testimony against all Strife and War and Contention c. George Bishop does in this Book of his the Warnings of the Lord testifie where in p. 10. speaking to O. Cromwell and shewing him in what and how far he had regard to him He saith in behalf of Liberty of Conscience which Oliver had before declared to be a Natural Right yet was herein so far darkned as not to establish this Right which once was in his power to have done and therefore G. B. enumerates some of the Sufferings of our Friends to him herein and at the same time tells him what was the nature of that Dispensation which the Quakers were come to which he tells him in these words We who through the unspeakable love of the Father are come to Witness the end of the Wars the Son of God made manifest in the Flesh whose is the Kingdom and the Glory and the Dominion for ever even his Immortal Seed raised and raising up in us by which we are brought to testifie against the World and all the Deceivers therein and against the Fashions and Customs and Works and Deeds thereof that they are Evil as by his Light we have been shewn and by his Blood redeemed therefrom in our own particulars c. And in p. 14. G. B. enumerating some Instances of those whom the Spirit of Persecution had overthrown and the pretences on which they went as Haman to Ahasuerus the Informers against Daniel and the Three Children and the Pretences of the Elders Chief Priests and Scribes against our Saviour as also their pretences against the Apostles under which they would cloak their wickedness hath these words This is what that Spirit viz. of Persecution suggested throughout all Ages on Record in the Scriptures of Truth and with this
that Spirit blinded the Kings Princes and Rulers and set them against the Lord and against his Anointed which prov'd in the Issue their destruction This is that the Bishops said of the Puritans to the Late King this is that which brought forth the Law in those days against their Meetings to seek the Lord upon pretence of Conventicles and with this the Late King they blinded and set him against these People which became the overthrow of Him his Posterity and Followers and of that Generation and of those that joined with them And this is that Spirit that is now blinding of thee viz. Oliver Cromwell who wast the Lord's Battle-Ax and Weapon of War to the cutting down of him and those whom after this manner it blinded and set against the Lord and his People and which is now setting Thee against the Seed of God which in this fulness of the Dispensation of times he is raising up to reign for ever and ever unto which Spirit if thou continue to hearken and to follow and to be guided by thou shalt be cut off the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it This is part of a Letter which is in that Book and which G. Bishop did send to Oliver as it is there dated the 16th of the 5th Month 1656. By which and much more such plain Dealing in the said Letter wherein he tells him p. 17. Because thou hast hardned thy Heart and turned against him He God hath turn'd from thee his Presence Wisdom from thy Councils Spirit from thy Men of War and Success from thine Vndertakings and is Stripping of thee of thy Fence and Guard and making thee naked and bare and is coming against thee c. It appears from all this according as our Friends in their Declaration to King Charles upon his Restauration had said That the Quakers even in the Days of Oliver c. were a People that did follow after those things that made for Peace c. in that they did faithfully warn the then Powers against that Spirit of Persecution which was as they had foretold their overthrow And that they did not fight but were redeemed out of all outward fighting and through the Vnspeakable Love of the Father were brought to the end of the Wars So that it is false and malicious in the Snake to say the Quakers were Beaten and could Fight no longer when they gave that Testimony in their Declaration that they did Deny and Bear their Testimony against all Strife and Wars and Contentions c. For had they been in that Warring Nature there was space and time when that Letter of G. Bishop to Oliver Cromwell before-mentioned was writ wherein he testifies that the Quakers did witness the end of the Wars it being near four years before the Restauration of the King But tho' there was time and space yet the Quakers did never joyn with them or fall in with them nor were they concerned in places of Trust or Profit under them but when those who were in such places or in the Army did in their own particulars come to be redeem'd out of all outward Wars and to be obedient to that Convincement they laid down such their Places or Arms which is more than can be truly said of many fawning Priests and Professors And what is more the Quakers from the first even all the time of those several Changes in Government before the Restauration were great Sufferers by them because of that Truth and Plainness which they witnessed forth both to Governors and Governed And thus G. Bishop not soothingly but plainly told O. C. in his time wherein his safety and danger stood Thus he told R. Cromwell in his time wherein his safety and danger stood Thus he told the General Council of the Army wherein their safety and danger stood Thus he told the then Parliament wherein their safety and danger stood Thus he also told the Council of State wherein their safety and danger stood viz. In Establishing that equal and just Liberty and Freedom of Conscience in matters of Worship which near all of them in their turns promised and engaged to do but did it not therefore were they as he shews overthrown And when the King was Restored George Bishop did also Warn Him and his Parliament as in his piece A Book of Warnings c. p. 2 it is seen where after having recounted the Mercies of God to the King and Them he says And now what doth the Lord require of you That you take not upon you to rule over his Kingdom or to prescribe to his Dominion whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion that which shall never have end that of him in the Conscience Thus Reader under the different Governments his Advice was that Persecution might be taken away and in great Plainness without Soothing or Flattering of any to whom his Messages were he did it appears deliver them Ibid. p. 232. But after all this Sweetness as soon as ever the King was Restored Anno. 1660. the Quakers stoutly deny that ever they had Complemented Oliver or they had forgot it What the Snake calls Sweetness that We the Quakers did shew to Oliver we take to be our Duty as required by the Lord to shew to all whom it shall please God come to have Government That is to Advise that they Govern for God and his Truth that all Profaness Immorality and all Wickedness may be discouraged in which the Blessing both of Governors and the Governed doth consist This O. C. was frequently admonished of but he rejecting his Vows to God his Pretences to Men and the Admonition which God by his Servants did frequently send Several of our Friends in great Truth and Plainness did foretel him of his Overthrow which none of those his Soothing and Flattering Priests did dare to do The same plain Dealing our Friends did use to the other Changes in Government and also to Richard Cromwell not Complementing nor Flattering any And when W. Caton in his Truth 's Character of Professors said that the Priests and Professors did Sooth and Flatter O. Cromwell and his Son and made great Promises to him the Proof was apparent by their Addresses to him which in that Book he does briefly give What less than Flattery was it when the Priests c. of Suffolk in their Address to Richard Cromwell upon the Death of his Father told him Although our Sun is Set no Night hath ensued And what less was it in the Priests of Norfolk who did solemnly Promise and Engage Faithfully to serve and obey his most serene Highness for so they then called R. Cromwell as his Leige People in the Defence of his Person and Government with their Lives and Estates It 's true they did afterwards so soften the terms of their Allegiance that they found themselves ready to embrace another Shelter when the Gourd was withered and thus they turn'd to the Rising Side But after all if all this was