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truth_n	call_v	scripture_n	word_n	7,223	5	4.6930	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62157	Some queries proposed, to the monethly meeting of the Quakers at Aberdeen; the sixth day of June, 1700. By Robert Sandilands With their answers thereto; together with some remarks thereupon. Published by authority. To which is prefixed a letter from George Keith, sent to the Quakers in Aberdeen, containing a very serious and Christian expostulation with his old friends, &c.	Sandilands, Robert.; Keith, George, 1639?-1716. aut	1700 (1700)	Wing S663; ESTC R220626	23,403	36

of Life the word that is nigh in the Heart and in the Mouth but the Letter of the Scripture is outward of it self a dead thing a meer declaration of good things but not the things themselves therefore it nor is nor can be the Chief or Principal RULE of Christians But least any should mistake him and think that tho he owned them not to be the principal Rule yet at least he acknowledged them to be a RULE he immediatly adds § 3 That which is given to Christians for a RULE and Guide must needs be so full as it may clearly and distinctly Guide and Order them in all things and occurrences that may fall out But the Scriptures are not such as he instanceth in several particulars therefore the Scriptures cannot be a RULE to them And as they are not a RULE so nor the Rule as he sayeth in another place As for CHRIST and his Apostles using the Scriptures for convincing of their Opposers so do we and yet this proves not that either he or we judge them pag. 15. near the end to be the Rule whereby to try all things and Spirits c. The Reader may plainly observe the great inconsistency betwixt what R. B. says and what Andrew Jaffray and his Friends say They affirm the Scriptures to be an RULE an Infallible RULE and an Infallible RULE of Faith and Life in which they are very orthodox and I must in Charity believe that in so farr are our Modern Quakers Reformed and very justly laid aside their former Doctrine Which is yet more plainly and explicitly delivered by William Penn in his Appendix to the Christian Quaker for after endeavouring to prove that the Scriptures were never the General RULE he at last by way of Objection says Pag 136 But is not the Scripture the RULE of our Day he answers if the RULE then the general RULE for pag 137. whatsoever is the RULE of Faith and Life excludeth all other from being general they being but particular in respect of it self therefore not the RULE of Faith and Life but besides their not being general I have several Reasons to o●ter and he brings no less then nine or ten Reasons why they cannot be the Rule of Faith and Life See George Keith's Book called the Deism of William Penn c. Wherein there is a full examination and confutation of William Penns Discourse of the General RULE of Faith and Practice and Judge of Contraversie Printed Anno 1699. Observe also what is said in one of their Books called the Quakers Refuge p. 17. Whether the first Penman of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes or whether both these are one or whether there are not many Words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by INSPIRATION of the Holy Spirit And in a Book called Truths Defence by G. F. and R. H. p. 2d You may as well Condemn the Scriptures to the Fire as our Queries Q. 2. Whether the Light within be sufficient of it self to Salvation without any thing else A. Unto such as are under a moral impossibility of coming to the knowledge of the Incarnation Life Miracles Crucifiction Death Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord JESUS ' CHRIST the Light wherewith he inlighteneth every Man coming into the World is sufficient to Salvation Ioh. 1. 9. Tit. 2. 11. But where the outward knowledge of the Scriptures is attainable or the outward History of our Saviour it is altogether damnable not to believe the same R. This Answer to the second Querie is in my opinion no Answer at all but a down right shifting the Question which hath no respect to such as are under a moral impossibility of knowing the Life Death Miracles c. of our Blessed Lord JESUS CHRIST but to such as have the means of knowing them and tho to such it be certainly Damnable not to believe them yet that tells us not whither the Light within be of its self sufficient to Salvation without any thing else yea or not and therefore I must again intreat that they may be pleased Candidly and sincerely to give a plain and direct Answer to the Querie and this I have the more reason to demand because Robert Barclay of Urie at the first giving in of their Answers being ●ressed to declare whether to such as have the means of knowing the Life Death Miracles c. of the Holy JESUS the Light within was of it self sufficient to Salvation He answered negatively that it was not and carried away the Answers to have that insert as thier Answer to the Querie which after all was not done From whence it appears that either they are not agreed amongst themselves about the resolution of this Querie and so shift the Answering it Or else that they are afraid to own the Truth plainly least thereby they contradict their Antient Friends And particularly George Whitehood who plainly asserts in his Antidote p. 28. That the Quakers are offended with G. K. for saying the Light within is not sufficient to Salvation without something else The which Proposition seing he blames as false he must hold the Contradictory to be true that the light within is sufficient to Salvation without any thing else Yea G. W. hath granted in his Antidote p. 28. that CHRIST as outwardly Considered is that something else which G. K. means And W. P. in his appendix to the Christian Quakers pag. 158. plainly affirms that the belief of the History of CHRIST's Birth Death c. is none of the absolute necessaries to our Salvation And in his Quakerism a new Nickname c. He saveth That Faith in the History of CHRIST's outward pag. 6 manifestation is a deadly poyson these latter Ages has been infected with and he sayes also in his Rejoynder to I. Fa●do that CHRIST in the Gentiles is a greater mistery then CHRIST as he was made manifest in the Flesh it is strange that should be counted most misterious which was the introduction to the mistery and these transactions counted most difficult that were by the Divine Wisdom of GOD ordained as so many facil representations of what was to be accomplished in Man it is to le●en if not totally exclude the true mistery of Godliness which is CHRIST manifested in his Children their hope of Glory p. 335 Like to this is his saying in his Preface to the Collection of Robert Barclays Book ' s. O Reader sayeth he great is the mistery of Godliness and if the Apostle said it of the manifestation pag. 36. of the Son of GOD in the Flesh if that be a mistery and if a mistery it is not to be spelled out but by the revelation of the Spirit how much more is the See also His Christi an Quaker pag. 12. work of Regeneration a mistery that is wholly inward and spiritual Q. 3. Whether the Holy Three the FATHER SON and HOLY GHOST that bear record in Heaven be not threedistinct Persons of one

the Resurrection of their Bodies c. See also W. P. his Invalidity of I. F. vindication p. 373 c. Q 19. Whither outward Baptism with Water and the outward Supper called the LORDS Supper be not Divine Institutions and Ordinances of our Blessed LORD JESUS CHRIST commanded by Him to be continued and practiced to the end of the World A. First as for Baptism we believe that as there is one LORD and one Faith so there is one Baptism Eph. 4 5. which is not the puting away the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience before GOD by the Resurrection of JESUS CHRIST 1 Pet. 3 21. And this Baptism is a pure and Spiritual thing to wit the Baptism of the Spirit and Fire by which we are buried with him Rom. 6. 4. And puts on CHRIST Gal 3 27. that being purged and washed from our sins we may walk in newness of Life being risen with him through the Faith of the Operation of GOD Collos 2. 12. Of which the Baptism of John was a figure whose ministry was to decrease but CHRIST to increase Iohn 3. 30. and who said himself I indeed Baptise you with Water to repentance but He that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear He shall baptise you with the HOLY GHOST and with Fire Mat. 3. 11. Here are two Baptisms mentioned whereof certainly Johns was the figure and CHRISTS the continuing substance and though Johns was continued or practiced for a season yet Paul that great Apostle who was not a whit inferiour to the chiefest Apostles 2 Cor. 11. 5. expresly affirms that outward Baptism was not within his Commission from CHRIST read 1 Cor. 1. 17. As for the sprinkling of Infants called Baptism we find neither Precept nor Practice of it in all the Scriptures of truth and therefore judge it to be a meer humane Tradition And as for the Outward Supper we do believe that the communion of the Body and Blood of CHRIST is inward and Spiritual as to the substance which is the participation of his Flesh and Blood by which the Inward man is daily nourished in the Hearts of those in whom CHRIST dwels 1 Cor. 10 chap. 16. 17. verses John 6. 32. 33 35 Of which things the breaking of Bread by CHRIST with his Disciples was a figure which they even used in the Church for a time who had received the substance for the sake of the weak even as abstaining from things strangled and from blood the washing on anothers feet and the anointing the Sick with Oyl all which are commanded with no less authoriy and solemnity then the former and the two last of them as true outward Signs or Simbols of Inward Grace as the Bread and Wine yet seeing they are but the shaddows of better things they cease in such as have obtained the substance Acts 15. 20. John 13 14 Ja. 5 14. Where these forementioned things are commanded or institute R. It is indeed to be much lamented that the whole Body of the Quakers every where is too well agreed as to their disowning and Contempt of our Blessed SAVIOUR's Institutions especially Baptism and the LORD's Supper But A. J. c. might have given a shorter Answer for I designed not by these Queries that either they should prove what they hold or that I should disprove the same And therefore for a full Reply to what either they have here alledged or what R. B. and others of the Chief English Teachers among the Quakers have argued against the Continuance and practice of outward Water Baptism and the LORD's Supper I refer the Reader to Geo Keith's Book called the Arguments of the Quakers against Baptism c. wherein they are intirely consuted and fully Answered And which Book I do not know that the Quakers have so much as pretended to Answer Q 20 Lastly if ye be realy sound and sincere in the Faith of the great fundamental Truths of the Christian Religion are ye not then bound in Conscience to manifest the same and that both by disowning and condemning by a publick Testimony all those gross Erroneous and Unchristian passages which have been and may still more and more be discovered out of your ancient and chief Friends Printed Books Observe so far only A. J. c. recited this last Querie and wholly omitted all the rest And I doe hereby offer to prove the same before any Judicious Indifferent Persons as it shall please GOD to give me an opportunity by producing such Palpable Quotations out of the said Books directly contradicting the plain Testimony of the Holy Scriptures and contrary to the necessary essential point of Christian Faith and Doctrine and if ye be clear and Innocent as I said already ought ye not likewise to disown all such for your Christian Brethren that have opposed and who doe still continue to oppose any of those precious Truths of the Gospel which have been universally received by all true and sound Christians I doe expect your positive and candid Answer by your plain and simple Affirmation or Negation to each of these Queries by which you may prevent any Suspicion of quibling or equivocating to be sent with all Convenience to Aberdeen the 5th day of the 4th Moneth called June 1700. Your Real Welwisher ROBERT SANDILANDS A. We are realy sound and sincere in the great and fundamental Truths of the Christian Religion and we are ready to manifest the same but we are not bound in reason to receive the Testimony of an avowed Adversary against our Brethern and if he have any thing to charge against them among whom he resides he wants not opportunity to do it face to face and we doubt not but they can clear themselves sufficiently This Answer to the above written Queries was drawn upon the 7th day of the 4th moneth called June 1700 And signed as follows Alexander Gelley Robert Barclay Iohn Forbes George Forbes senior Robert Gordon William Taylor Andrew Jaffray Iohn Robertson Robert Gerard Daniel Simson Iohn Somervaile William Glenny James Wallace Iohn Merser Robert Keith Yet at the desire of some of the Magistrats so many of our Number as are present have again signed the same with their own hands Observe They first gave a Copy of their Answer unsigned and which they brought to the Publick Mercat place and Copies thereof given to divers Persons afterwards they brought their Answers much Corrected with large Additions with several names at them but all write with one hand and that not being satisfactory it was returned to them again At last they delivered it Signed Authentically by severals of their own Hands Andrew Jaffray Alexander Gelley William Taylor Daniel Simson Robert Keith Iohn Sommervaile Robert Gordon George Forbes Senior Iohn Merser Iohn King R. I should truly rejoice and be heartily glade to find both A. J. c. And all others among the People called Quakers manifest themselves to be realy sound and sincere not

SOME QUERIES Proposed to the Monethly Meeting of the Quakers at ABERDEEN the sixth Day of June 1700. By ROBERT SANDILANDS With their ANSWERS thereto together with some Remarks thereupon Published by Authority To which is Prefixed a Letter from GEORGE KEITH sent to the Quakers in ABERDEEN Containing a very serious and Christian Expostulation with his Old Friends c. Gal. 4. 16. Am I therefore become Your Enemy because I tell You the Truth ABERDEEN Printed by IOHN FORBES Printer to the CITY and UNIVERSITY To the Right Honourable THOMAS MITCHEL Lord Provost Bailies ALEXANDER RAGG ALEXANDER FORBES ALEXANDER KER ALEXANDER PATON IOHN LESLIE Dean of Gild WILLIAM CROWDEN Thesaurer And to the rest of the Honourable Council of the City of ABERDEEN RIGHT HONOURABLE THE Hereditary Tyes I am under to the City of Aberdeen of which my Father was Recorder several years wherein many of my Friends Live and some whereof have been Honoured with the most eminent Posts in the Magistracy and of which I my self am a Native and Burger are so strong that they need no new motives to raise and preserve in me the greatest Honour and the most sincere Love for the Place And ye who are the present worthy Governours hereof have surpriz'd me with such new favours and Personal Obligations since my last Return to your City that nothing but a publick acknowledgment can secure me against the Reproach of Ingratitude Those Shelves on which I and many well designing but seduced Christians had Shipwrack'd the true Faith could not be sufficiently guarded against nor those who are already fallen into fatal delusions recovered and restored otherwayes then by exposing to the impartial view of the World the gross and vile Errours that ly couched under the mask of Divine Illuminations and the palpable Contradictions that are maintained by different parties of that Society which pretends to be guided and influenced in every point by the unerring Spirit of Infinite Wisdom And as Love to Christianity and Charity to the Souls of others has induced me first to Propose and then to publish the following Queries and Remarks so I cannot in Justice conceal your Forwardness and Zeal to Countenance and encourage me in vindication of the Truth and to allow what ever might be of use to me in defence of the Truth which I have endeavoured to doe with the greatest simplicity And that GOD may strengthen you and raise up others to be valiant for Truth and Holiness shall ever be the hearty Prayer of Right Honourable Your Most Obliged and Obedient Servant ROBERT SANDILANDS To the Christian Reader SEEing it hath graciously pleased Almighty GOD in his Infinite Mercy to discover to me as well as many more in England who for sometime had lived in communion with the People called Quakers those many gross Errours that were maintained in Print by their Chief Teachers which nevertheless I my self never owned but alwayes sincerely believed the most necessary fundamental Truths of Christianity profest in common by all PROTESTANTS though I must confess I was so far misled as to believe that more stress was to be laid on the Light within then on Faith in an outward Crucified JESUS c. I therefore judged my self bound in Conscience not only to separat from them but also to return to this my Native Countrey where I first joined with them and there give a publick Testimony to the Truth and endeavour in the Strength of the LORD to satisfie my old Friends and Relations that as I erred through ignorance and unbelief never knowing nor being any way perswaded till of late that such gross Errours were owned by them which if I had in the least suspected I think I should never have been prevailed with to have joined with them So I hope that the Quakers both here and else where who are sincere and honest hearted when they are made sensible of and discover the same which they may doe by impartially searching as I have done their own authentick writtings shall be of one mind with me and with me also obtain mercy so as to have reason to magnifie the Infinite Goodness and Love of GOD in CHRIST JESUS our LORD Of this I conceive the more hopes since I got the Answers of the Principal Quakers of the last Monethly Meeting at Aberdeen given to some Queries proposed by me at that Meeting both which together with some Remarks on their said Answers are here Printed by Authority of the Magistrats of Aberdeen and at the desire of some of them as well as the intreaty of my Friends in this place I have been induced to make a short Narrative of what passed before the giving in or Answering the said Queries Soon after my arrival at Aberdeen I had occasion to meet with some of the Quakers whom I discoursed and more particularly A. Jaffray their chief Teacher in this place and in our Conferences together I mention'd some gross passages in W. Penn's Books c. But he being dissatisfied proposed that himself and I with some friends of each side should meet and after these Books were produced it might be seen whether such palpable and gross Errours were vouched in them yea or not Having so soon as possible I could got some of them I wrot to the said A. J. desiring to know when we should meet in answer to which he sent me a very passionat and indiscreet Letter intirely declining the Meeting though he himself first proposed the same and therein acquainted me if I had any thing to say against them I should give it in Write or Print I therefore went to their Monethly Meeting where Alexander Forbes of Craigie and Alexander Patton of Kinnaldie Bailies in Aberdeen with a great many more Persons of good Note were present and there after some short discourse I read the Queries as they are here Printed of which I left a signed Copie with the Quakers and gave another to Bailie Paton to which after some time I at length obtained the Answers which I have hereafter subjoined And that it may appear how groundlesly they lay claim to the immediat and infallible illuminations of the Spirit of GOD which is in all times places and persons the same without contradiction or variation I have annexed some Quotations out of their most approved Writters which most plainly contradict the Doctrine now seemingly owned by A. J. and his Friends These passages I have here adduced are not to be looked upon as the opinions of private Authors among the Quakers but as the Doctrine and Principles maintained by the whole Body of that people in England For their Books are not allowed to be Printed or Re-Printed till first they are approved off by the second days Meeting at London and all such Books so approved off are by an order among them transmitted to other Monethly or Quarterly Meetings c. and there is none that I have made use of have ever been rejected or publickly disapproved by them so far

only in some but in all the fundamental Truths of the Christian Religion but whether A. J. and his Friends have evidenced themselves to be such by their Answers to the Queries before recited I leave that to all impartial and judicious Readers to judge And for a manifest Tryal of the sincerity and soundness of their Faith in those points wherein they seem orthodox and that they have no secret reserved meanings but what is agreeable to the Sense of all sound Protestants it is here proposed to them and which is reasonably expected that they give a publick Testimony in Writing against those erroneous passages and positions as they are here set down as before and quoted out of their approved and antient Friends Books which plainly contradicts their own orthodox Answers They are obliged I think either to own or else to disown these errors the latter I hope they will ingeniously doe as being no Respecter of Persons For the Truth must be owned and preferred before all things and persons tho never so near or dear to us And unless A. J. c. doe this their sincerity will still be suspected notwithstanding all their great Pretences As for their saying we are not bound in Reason to receive the Testimony of an avowed Adversary against our Brethren as I would not be imposed upon in such weighty concerns so I doe not impose my Testimony upon them but have fairly and sincerely laid before them their own antient and most eminent approved Friends Testimonies both in England and Scotland And I could have produced many more Quotations if they had been so candid to have granted me the use of their Friends Books which I had not by me here and I being a Traveller could not be other wayes provided with however I offer this to them let the Books be produced out of which the Quotations are taken and let them be perused by any judicious and indifferent Persons and see whither they are justly and fairly quoted and I shall submit the same to their censure And whoever it is they mean to be their Brethrens avowed Adversary I bless GOD I can sincerely say that I have no Personal enmity or Prejudice against them or any Persons whatsomever it s true I detest their vile errors but I still love and respect their Persons and what I have herein done may shew that it was not through Malice c. I could also have given an account of many very Unchristian and unsavoury Passages which were Preached publickly in their Meetings at Reading in England where I live which occasioned divers to leave them And whereas they say and if he have any thing to Charge against them among whom he receeds he wants not opportunity to doe it face to face and we doubt not but they can clear themselves sufficiently I should be very glade as I have said before they would do so indeed but I am sure they have never in the least yet done it as they ought to doe notwithstanding of the many opportunitis and that publickly to have cleared themselves of what has been charged against them and still lyes at their door uncleared and unanswered by them and I am fully satisfied that notwitstanding of their many late new Creeds they can never well clear themseves until they publickly and ingeniously Retract those Errors in their Printed Books and when they once do that I think there is none will be so Unchristian as to Charge them any more therewith There is one or two Quotations more which I think fit to add G. F. and R. H. sayes in Truths defence p. 89 and 109 Our giving forth papers and printed Books it is from the immediat eternal Sipiritual GOD. 〈◊〉 Now I leave it to the serious Consideration of A. J. 〈◊〉 and the rest of his Friends whether in their Consciences they realy believe that the foresaid Passages quoted out of their Friends Books were given forth from the Immediat Eternal Spirit of GOD. And G. F. pleads for the same degree of the Spirit to know the Scriptures by as the Prophets and Apostles had See his great Myst p. 213. c. FINIS