Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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B03063
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A serious review of some principles of the Quakers. Wherein error is discovered, and truth defended. / By P.E.
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P. E.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing E25C; ESTC R174808
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12,541
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17
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A SERIOUS REVIEW OF SOME PRINCIPLES OF THE QUAKERS Wherein ERROR is Discovered and TRUTH Defended By P. E. VERITAS VINCET TANDEM Printed in the Year 1655. A SERIOUS REVIEW OF SOME PRINCIPLES OF THE QUAKERS I Do not at this time write because I would maintain Truth in maintaining any Sect knowing that there be many in this age who do owne in their judgement many parts of Truth or severall sound Principles of Religion as it were by piese-meal who notwithstanding in many more things if not in the most do erre And therefore as one having ceased from man being dead to all Sects I do I say I do at this time only vindicate Truth for it self without all relation to the upholding of any Sect whatsoever but in so far as they do owne any part of the Truth Having premised these few lines I shall lay down severall Principles of the Quakers and as I propound them shall refute them yet shall I speak of none of them but of such as be most known that they may not have it to say that I do wrest their words and do belye them I. That man as a creature is not equall with God but as he is joyned to the Lord being one Spirit with him This is the Doctrine of Geo. Fox as witnesseth Ja. Nailer in answer to the Book called The Perfect Pharisee pag. 4. whose words be these viz. I was in the hearing of four Justices of the Peace where he was asked meaning Geo. Fox whether he spake this of G. Fox as he was a creature i.e. that G. Fox was equall with God To which he answered I deny G. Fox he is dust and must to dust but I and my Father are one and he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit At which the Justices were satisfied that he spake of the Spirit of Christ in him and thereupon did acquit him A subtile Answ to an ill stated Question for I do observe in it much of the depths of Sathan whereby the Justices were outwitted No wonder for in stating the Question they gave him a great deal of advantage It doth necessarly imply that there was something in Geo. Fox which was increated not a creature but a Creator Otherwise to what purpose did they propound the Question thus Whether or not in saying that he was equall with God did he speak this of Geo. Fox as he was a creature even as if G. Fox had been any other thing then a creature In this I desire that these things may be observed First that neither Fox nor Nailer do deny absolutely that Geo. Fox should say that he was equall with God they deny not these words only Geo. Fox shifts the Justices with his sense thereof as is abovewritten Secondly I desire any serious sober man whatsoever to consider and I leave it with him to judge take it in the best sense if any man can call these the words of truth and sobernesse for Geo. Fox to say that he was equall with God I appeal him if ever any Scripture-Saint said so excepting Jesus Christ who was both God and Man Thirdly I desire George Fox to tell me what he meaneth by that viz. I and my Father are one and he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit Either he understandeth it concerning a substantiall or a mysticall onenesse betwixt God and man If a substantiall then it is as much as if George had said that the very substance and essence of God is in him and one with him Which being so then without dispute there is something increated in him and so equall with God Howsoever the Scriptures which he alledgeth will not bear him out therein Not the former for it only speaketh of CHRIST I and my Father are one John 10.30 In which Chapter the Lord Christ laboureth to prove his equality with God But will Geo. Fox make application of that Scripture to himself he doth so by comparing it with Joh. 17.21 23. Now take notice how he confounds Christs onenes with God and Saints onenes with him And seeing he puts no difference betwixt them but makes application of that same very Scripture to himself whereby Christ assents his equality with God It follows by inevitable consequence that the man understands Saints to be equall with God Which is also evident from his own confession For though he denieth G. Fox as a creature to be equall with God yet he doth not deny it in respect of the Spirit of Christ in him Whereupon he evaded the Justices of the Peace as is above-written Notwithstanding that yet is it clear that Saints onenes with God is nothing else but like the Husbands onenes with the Wife or the Wifes with the Husband as is most evident from that other Scripture 1 Cor. 6.17 he maketh use of He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit Would George compare this with the latter part of v. 16. For two saith he shall be one flesh He would needs alter his mind for the Apostle in these words alludes to that onenes which is betwixt man and wife spoken of Gen. 2.24 Mat. 19.5 6. Mar. 10.7 8. Eph. 5.26 And so compares the onens of the Saints with God in respect of one Spirit with that onenes which is betwixt Man and Wife But who can say that the onenes betwixt Man and Wife is substantiall and not mysticall Will any say that because the Scripture doth call them one even one flesh they do make up but one substance Is it not evident notwithstanding this onenes that they be different and distinct substances So then seeing the Scripture likeneth the onenes of Saints with God thereto may not I justly say that as God and Saints are one I say as they are one so they are really and substantially distinct one from another And that the substance and essence of God is not united to the creature But if at last George shall say that the oneness with God is only mysticall and vertuall i. e. in respect of Gods acting and working in Saints by the power of that same spirit that is in himself bringing them into a comformity to it self then hath he nothing for himself to say but must needs in every respect without all exception deny himself to be equall with God whether he consider himself as G. Fox or as sanctified by the Spirit of Christ in him For so even his Sanctification and the Spirit of Christ in him are nothing else but created things And I desire George not to think this strange Doctrine For doth not the Scripture comprehend all that is of God in Saints under the notion of the New Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Gal. 6.15 And if it be a creature then is it not increated but created But if George be tenacious I desire him to tell me What of God What of the Spirit of Christ did ever be experience beside that which is the New-Creature in him Or rather I desire him to shew me where