it Hear O Israel Jehovah our Elohims is one Jehovah Here is Trinity in Vnity And we read that the Prophet Isai 6. 8. Heard the voice of the Lord saying who will go for Vs this Vs denotes more persons then one likewise in Gen. 1. 26. the Elohims spake each to other and said let us make Man surely then the Trinity cannot be as some dream sc distinctions and relations only but reall existences in the essence of Jehovah for distinctions and relations are such as cannot speak but the Elohims spake each to other as above noted Obj. If it be said the plural number Vs takes in all as well as the number three Answ It doth so but when God hath determined plurality to three it is time then to settle and to be certain that there are no more which is confirmed Mat. 28. 19. Baptizing in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost that is to believe in obey and worship the Father in the Son and the Holy Ghost here you see are three in the divine Nature that do live understand will and act and here it s plainly revealed that they are so distinct that the one cannot be the other Indeed the Socinians the Quakers Brethren in this thing do deny the Holy Ghost to be a person and say It is the power vertue and efficacy of God the Father if so then the Scripture above Mat. 28. 19. must be read thus Baptizing them in or unto the Name of the Father of the Son and of the vertue power and efficacy of the Father to be believed in obeyed and worshipped which sounds absurdly utterly disagreeable to reason But above all it is inconsistent with the Scriptures of truth as in Ioh. 1. 4. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father and in ver 18. No man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him and in Iohn 14 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name These Texts of Holy Scripture do shew us that the Father begets the Son the Son is begotten of the Father and the Holy Ghost proceeds from both Furthermore when the Lord Christ was Baptized Mat. â— 15 16 17. the Father was heard and not seen the Holy Ghost in the form of a Dove seen and not heard and Christ the Son both seen and heard the Father saying of Christ this is my Son and the Holy Ghost descending and lighting upon him which is a most clear demonstration of their real and personal dictinction Again in 1 Joh. 5. 7. For there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Now if they be three then they must be in some respect more then one and not the same besides it argues weakness to quarrel the Phrase Persons for as much as the Person doth Grammatically tria necessaria sunt ut aliquid persona dicatur signifie first second and third which makes three this only by the bye for illustration rather then evidence though we do not find this Phrasiology in the Scriptures sc Trinity of Persons yet this is not a sufficient ground to deny it for though we have not the words yet having the things signified in and by the words it ought to satisfie a rational Saint as for the things signified the Texts above are fair and plain affirming there are three that bear Record or witness now to bear witness is properly the office and act of a person or persons Qu. Whether the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are declared as three distinct witnesses Answ Yes that they are so may appear by the testimony of these Scriptures Joh. 8 18. I am one that bear witness of my self and the Father sent me beareth witness of me and Joh. 15. 26. But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Futher even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me here we have the Father Son and Holy Ghost witnessing that is to say the Comforter sent the Son sending and that from the Father which proves them to be distinct witnesses and by good consequence to be distinct persons herewithal let it be well observed sc To deny as Teaching Quakers do the Trinity of persons in the unity of the Godhead is in down right terms to deny that there is a God for the Scripture inspired of God saith These three are one Therefore to deny the Trinity is to deny in Unity which is Atheistical so much in Answer to the requests oâ— some of the Lords people in Barmudas With whom I shall now in a few words leave my hearty well wishing advice beseeching them and all the rest of the Lords People there to be ever mindful of the Blessed Apostles resolution Act. 21. 13. I am ready to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ a most gracious as well as noble resolution and fit for every good Christians imitation which is indeed 〈◊〉 lâ—ss then the standing against the Gates of Hell by bearing witness to the holy Truth of God O let us rather burn then â—ow to that Idol light which the Romish Nebuchadâ—zzar haâ—h set up in Teaching Quakers Oh let us rather die for the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth then leave the Mark of the Beast citeer within or on us rather let us lose our heads from our shoulders then renounce that saving head who is ascended up into the Heavens above O let us rather effuse our dearest blood and die glorious Martyrs then live Apostates from and die persecutors of Jesus of Nazareth And for your constant incouragement herein let us heartily learn the Apostles inspired Lesson Rom. 8. 7. In all these we are more then Conquerers through him that loved us FINIS
the ungodly Abraham was justified in the righteousness of Christs person when he had some ungodliness in his own person a Believer is compleat in Christ bodily Col. 2. 8 9 10. when he hath some incompleatness in his own body In a word these things do clear this Truth Namely To be cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ is to be understood for a cleansing from all the guilt and passive fruits and effects of sin but not for a cleansing as in your sense from all the movings and actings of sin in or by us while in this World which the following verses make most plain for even they which are by the blood of Jesus Christ cleansed from all sin ver 7 8. They have sin and in ver 9. ought to confess their sin Now Francis upon the whole it doth appear that the Patterns cut out by thee do still come short of the measure which plainly argues thou art not as yet thy Crafts-master yea this was manifested by thy Answer to this Question to wit Quest Whether the Saints was cleansed from all sin by the water of regeneration or by the blood of justification Thy Answer was by the Water which gave occasion to sundry persons to laugh at him But he endeavoured to compose them saying it is no laughing matter but indeed matter of melting pity that thy seduced Synagogue of Libertines should be led by so blind a Seducer The next after F. E. was William Bullock again alledging But a Body hast thou prepared me which he repeated again and again and then most earnestly called upon me tell me what is meant by Me for whom that body was prepared and what that body prepared was the same was as eagerly required by Francis Eastlack and William Harriot The place of Scripture intended by them was Heb. 10. 5. But a Body hast thou prepared me I Answered By Thou God the Father is meant by Me the Godhead of the Son by a Body prepared the Man hood united to the God-head of the Son And hereunto agrees the â—ormer part of the 5th verse Wherefore when he Christ God-man cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not or didst not desire and therefore were refused by God it being impossible that they should purge sin ver 4. For it is impossible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sin But a body hast thou prepared me meaning to receive and do his Fathers will in taking sin away Joh. 1. 20. Goâ— the Son having now taken and put on the body oâ— flesh prepared for â—im as above he now undertakes the great work of satisfying Goâ—s Justice for sin and so to take away sin saying ver 7. Lâ— I come to do thy Will O God And why he tells us In the volume of the Book it is written of me i. e. in the Record of thy Decree from everlasting is clear for it that I am he whom thou O Father hast instituted and ordained to do thy will for the taking away of sin For ver 10. By the which will we are sanctified or saved through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all So then the body offered in the 10th verse was the body prepared in the 5th verse But the body of Jesus Christ offered was a real man-kind body as the Spirit of Truth witnesseth Ver. 12. But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sin for ever sat down on the right hand of God here hence it is manifest that the very offering of the body of Jesus Christ could not have saved us but by the will and ordination of the Father who prepared that body for Christs hanging and dying on the Crosse had not delivered us from the pains of the eternal death unless it had been written in the volume of the book It s most sure all that our Lord Christ did or suffered in his Soul and Body for us had not satisfied the justice of God for sin if God had not appointed that Christ his Son made of a Woman Gal. 4. 4. should be sent forth to come into the World to do and suffer those things for the satisfying his juctice to the taking away of sin upon the whole I did inter that the true Christ and our only Saviour must necessarily 〈◊〉 both without and above us Here I made some pause to invite a Reply but they were silent at which I much marvelled inasmuch as sundry of the â—â—â—ding Quakers had imprinted so many corrupt glosses on those words it may be 't was forgotten as the Preface notes But a body hast thou prepared me As thus The Body prepared say they was prepared in Heaven and broughâ— by Christ into the Virgins Womb which body they call a Mystical Invisible Spiritual Heavenly body of Flesh and Blood and withal that the Mystical Invisible Body still the Idol light Christ within is the â—rue and only Saviour whose Birth Death Resurrection and Glorification is only Mystical and Invisible Hence as I suppose it is that George Fox in his Folio Book intituled the Great Mystery page 71. asserts That Christs Nature is not humane which saith he is earthly the nature of the first Adam Answ I would gladly knâ—w of this Fox whether Humane doth not rather signifie a Man-kind nature consisting of Soul and Body It s true we read 1 Cor. 15. 47. compare Gen. 2. 7. the first Adam was of the earth earthly in regard of his body not his soul which God formed out of the Earth But the word humane comprehends both Soul and Body which is much more then Earthly or Earth Simply litteral-material Earth Again whereas he adds the second man is from Heaven To which I Answer The second Adam or Man is the Lord from heaven as above 1. Because Christs Man kind nature was conceived in Mary by the power of the Highest overshadowing her Luk. 1. 35. 2. The true Christ is stiled the Secona Man because the first Man was his figure Rom. 5. 14. likewise in the Geneologie Mat. 1. Christ is said also to be partaker of the same flesh blood that the children were partakers of Heb. 2. 14 but the flesh and blood which the Children were partakers of were real visible humane or man kind flesh and blood not Mystical Ivisible flesh and blood Besides this Title sc Th. Son of Man is frequently attributed to Jesus Christ in the New-Testament as in Mat. 8. 20. The Foxes have holes but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head also in Mat. 10. 23. 11. 19. 12. 8. c. The Lords Christ is called the Son of Man which is to shew the truth of his humane mankind Nature it being lineally descended from David according to the flesh and therefore Christ is stiled the Son of David Luk. 20. 41. Moreover he hath the appellation of the Son of Man in reference to his participation with our humane Nature in all
Spirit doth not bear witness with thy Spirit that thou art a Child of God Therefore the Spirit of God is not in thee He denied the Assumption which I proved The Holy Spirit witnesseth them only to be Gods Children which do believe Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be the true Christ and their only Saviour Gal. 3. 26. But thou dost not believe on Jesus of Nazareth to be the true Christ and thy only Saviour Therefore the Holy Spirit doth not bear witness with thy Spirit that thou art a child of God and consequently thou hast not the Spirit of God within thee To which he made me no Return at all so that his staring silence gave open consent to the concluded Truth above The 3d. Argument was thus formed sc He that maketh God the Father a Lyar hath not the Spirit of God in him but thou makest God the Father a Lyar This Minor he confidently denied but I proved it thus He that believeth not the Record which God gives of his Son makes him a Lyar 1 Joh. 5. 10. But thou believest not the Record that God gave of his Son Therefore thou makest God the Father a Lyar He denied the Minor Proposition For as he said he believed the Record that God gave of his Son But I proved the contrary thus The Record that God gives of his Son is this sc That Iesus Christ as Man is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World Joh. 1. 29 30. with 34. verse But thou dost not believe the Record Namely That Iesus Christ as Man is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World Therefore thou didst not believe the Record that God gave of his Son consequently thou makest God a Lyar and such Blasphemers have not the Spirit of God in them here again the Lord stopt his Mouth that he had not a word to say for himself As I was thus Arguing this Truth sc That the Spirit of God was not in this Disputant W. Wilkinson I observed and O let it never be forgotten a very old Quaker Mr Henry Smith standing upon a Form or some such thing and looked earnestly and sadly upon me my very heart being moved towards this poor Seduced Oldâ—Man I forthwith called to him saying my Soul is grieved for thee Oh do but consider what will shortly become of thy unbelieving Soul which hath professedly forsaken the true Christ and only Saviour from sâ—n and the wrath to come Act. 2. 22. chap. 5. 31. 1 Thess 1. 10. Even Iesus of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People and by him exaltâ—â— to be a Prince and Saviour to give Repentance and remission of sins O wiâ—h what horror and astonishment wilt thou erâ— long look the Lamb of God in the face when he shall charge thee with an open denying yea with renouncing of him before mâ—n and with perhaps a causing many others likewise to do the same its high time for to bethink thy self what Answer thou wilt give to the Lord Christ for this thy dreadful and accursed Apostasie when God shall take away thy Soul Oh that thou wouldest seriously think on blessed St pher a Man full of the Holy Ghost when he saw the heavens above opened and Jesus the Son of Man standing there he called on him and said Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Act. 7. 55 56 59. But alas poor â—ld Man on whom wilt thou call to receive thy almost despairing Spirit thou art not of blessed Stephens Faith who lived and died in the faith of Jesus of Nazareth the true Christ and his only Saviour O thou poor sinner that art deluded into another Faith how dost thou think to escape the damnation of hell As I were thus speaking to him the Lord undoubtedly took hold on his heart for though he were a Man of parts yet he made no reply of anything which in real tenderness to his Soul I had spoken above but immediately he stept down in a trembling posture with tears in his eyes went out of the Church the next morning be came to my house pretending a troubled Spirit and after some conference with him he went â—civily away and as I hoped somewhat satisfied But this visible and invisible hand shaking of God was soon after forgot by him and he according to the divine method of just and secret Judgements more settled in his long Runs of whoring from God which hath caused me to â—end a few lines more after Quakers 1. That ye would be perswaded wisely to consider that Text of Scripture in Rev. 6. 15 c. which concerns all sorts of Unbelievers ver 16 17. Calling to the Mountains and Rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for â—he great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand O thou deluded one will it not amaze thee when thou shalt look up and see and say Lo yonder is Jesus of Nazareth the Man approved of God that I would not have to rule over me yonder he is indeed Oh yonder he comes he comes Alas alas what shall I do that am in my sins of impenitency and unbelief and have no share in him Look Oh look what a glorious train doth attend him wo is me Oh we is me this Lamb of God whom poor deluded I called an out side Christ no Saviour Behold he comes lika a Lion tearing in pieces and none to deliver will not this be a dreadful most dreadful day to thee indeed dying in thy Apostasie I do therefore intreat you to ponder seriously on this weighty matter concerning Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Son of Mary that he is now in a present glorified and bodily existence in the third Heaven above and that he now hath though denied by Socinians and Quakers in the Heavens above true flesh and blood the nature and properties of a true mankind body which Mr. Doolittle plainly proves by propounding in the Young-man's Instructor four Questions 1. Quest Had not Christ a real humane mankind body when he arose out of the Grave forasmuch as he shewed the prints of the nailes in his hands and feet to Thomas Joh. 20. 27. surely this cannot be denied with any colour of reason 2. Quest Did he not ascend with the same body or had he not the same body when he was parted from his Disciples forasmuch as they saw the same body go up that talked with them Act. 1. 9 10 11. No man can deny this with whom the Scriptures of truth have either Authority or Credit 3. Quest Can you say that Christ put off his body after he was taken out of sight before he came into heaven or if you should say it doth any Scripture favour you herein neither Socinian Quaker or any other to this day ever produced nor can any such Scripture For Stephen saw Christs humane body since in Heaven above Act. 7. 55. 56.
gifts whether they are of God And how did the noble Elders at Berea try the Spirit by which Paul Preached The 11th verse tells us It was by their searching of the Scriptures daily whether these things were so it being an Article of Faith with them that the written Scriptures were the Churches standing Rule for Faith and Life and therefore ver 12. Many of them believed sc That Jesus of Nazareth was the true Christ and their only Saviour surely the Elders above trying the spirit by the search of the Scriptures doth sufficiently prove that the spirits are to be tried by the Scripture and not the Scripture by the spirit the end of Gods inspiring the Scripture was that it might thereby be enabled to try the spirit the spirit is so far from questioning or trying the Scripture that it ever witnesseth for or against as the Scripture witnesseth being indited by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1 21. for that end should the spirit of truth witness otherwise then according to the inspired Scripture that is to say if the spirit should witness one thing to be a truth in the Scripture and another thing contrary to it in a mans Conscience the spirit should be divided against it self it should be spirit of contradiction for instance the spirit witnesseth in the Scripture That the true Christ and our only Saviour was and is Jesus Christ of Nazareth a man approved of God who was taken by the Jews slain and hanged upon a Tree whom God raised from the dead the third day and exalted to be a Prince and Saviour Thus the spirit witnesseth in the Scriptures Act. 2. 22 23. Chap. 5. 30 31 34. But a Quaker pretends that the spirit witnesseth in his Conscience that there is a light within him which is the true Christ and only Saviour which is not the Man Jesus of Nazareth which the Jews never slew nor hanged upon a tree nor was ever raised by God from a bodily death Again The spirit witnesseth in the Scripture That he is a Righteous man who walketh in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord Luk. 1. 16. But a Quaker pretends that the spirit witnesseth in his Conscience that he is a righteous man who forsakes all the commanded Ordinances of the Lord. Now should we Christians be so weak and wicked as to believe a Quakers pretended spirit in him to be the spirit of God and not of the Devil should we not then be guilty of this dreadful Blasphemy namely of makiâ—g the spirit of God a spirit divided against it self a spirit of contradiction teaching lies in the Scripture by witnessing therein the things abâ—ve touching Jesus Christ and his Ordinances to be the truths and other things contrary to them for truths in a Quakers Conscience or as he calls it in his tender part this were to take strong damnable delusions for sacred and scriptural inspirations that inspiration which is either without the wriâ—ten word or against it is an hellish imposture indeed it s no marvel that the Teaching Quakers would have their spirit within that Idolized light to try the Scriptures not to be tried by them for if they mighâ— herein prevail and withal get into the sadâ—le they would undoubtedly soon Arraign Try and Condemn the inspired Bible of God to Fire and Faggot this conclusion may without breach of charity be grounded upon the scurrilous pens of some sâ—ducing Teaching Quakers whom Inâ—ight herein with their bold expressions have declared havâ—ng them by me but I feared the swelling of these confutations and the discouragement that might thereby be given to the Reader By the way I lay down this Caution to wiâ— though the holy and blessed spirit of God be above all tryal yet the â—are spirits even the spirits i. e. the spiritual gifts of all mâ—n which must be submitted to tryal whether they are of God i. e. of the Book of God 2 Cor. 34. 14. wherein there is not any speech or passage but the infinite wisdome of God hath thought fit to be recorded as that which hath in it somewhat for our instruction even the Blasphemy of the Fool which contradicts not only the truth but the very being of God which teacheth us this divine truth That there are seven that is all manner of Abominations in the heart of Man yea we may draw useful instructions from the words of Judas the Traitor after Satan had entred into him and filled his heart not only so but from the words of Satan in his temptations and proposals unto Christ much more may we from the sayings of Holy men which are all material truths from the inspiration of God and therefore fit to try the Spirits or gifts of all men as above which must be submitted to the tryal of the Scripture touch stone In the last place perhaps some Teaching Quakers may say sc We own the written Scripture as a witness-bearer or declarer of that light which is in Man Reply We deny the written Scripture to be a witness bearer to your Light within for if the Scriptures of God should bear witness to that gross piece of foolery call'd Light within it should witness it self to be no word of God For 1. Your Idol Light within saith that the Soul of a Man is part of God and no created substance This will be debated in the next Head 2. That the Light that is in every man by natural generation is the true Christ and only Saviour 3. That the Sacred Oracles of God the Scriptures of truth are not the standing Rule for Faith and Life but your unwritten Scriptures that whimsical Light within you 4. That this Light within will bring men to an absolute perfection a freedome from all sin in this life and to Heaven also 5. That the Lord Jesus Christ though God-man blessed for ever is not the Son of God the Saviour of the World 6. That the person of Christ is not in Heaven above that it is Blasphemy to affirm that he is there 7. That the Light within Man is the true Scripture and Word of God even the everlasting Word and therefore long before the written Scriptures To this last I will make some Reply Reply Let this be granted sc That the Light in Man was long before the written Scriptures yet the written Scriptures do declare a truth to us more ancient then the oldest Quaker or his Idol light within him namely what the Elâ—hims spake each to other saying Let us make Man in our own Image Gen 1. 26. And having made man it tells us what God said sc Be fruitful and multiply ver 28. And behold I have given you of every Tree bearing fruit ver 29. And God commanded the man saying of every Tree of the Garden c. Gen. 2. 16. Moreover the Scriptures tells us of divers things long before themselves were written to wit that after the Fall the Word of God was manifested to Adam and his wise and likewise that God
e. by being ashamed of the true Christ and turning away from him as ye are and do This Oh this is to put the blessed Son of God to an open shame and even this is to do despight to the spirit of Grace and shall they who despite the spirit of Grace ever find the benefâ— of Gospel Grace The 〈…〉 this That the Scriptures of Truth do plainly charge the generality of Quakers with the guilt of the sin against the holy Ghost because they have sinned wilâ—â—lly after a profession openly made 〈…〉 in the Lord Christ 〈◊〉 of the Virgin Mary in the City of Daâ—◠〈…〉 2. 11. to be the true Christ and their only Saviour and therefore 〈…〉 so do ye now crucifie not in but to your 〈…〉 Son of God aâ—resh and put him to an open shame Oh that 〈◊〉 I do heardly wish it would bring these repeated plain dealings effectually home to your hearts remembring from whence ye are fallen and 〈◊〉 and do the first works Rev. 2 5. 9. Lastly As it is above noted in what sense this Disputant F. E. intended the fore-asserted Notions sc that the Word took flesh and in that flesh dyed for all men I could not certainly determine nor could as I am perswaded he himself as it may appear by the Answer he then made to a Question which I put unto him â—o wit Quest Whether he F. E. did believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Man approved of God among the People and whom the Jews slew and God raised from the dead and also received up into Heaven were the true Christ and his only Saviour He forthwiâ—h Answered That be did believe it Capt. Bascomb then called to him saying Thou wilt deny 〈…〉 tomorrow and withal I likewise told him that by this his open confession of the true Faith he had openly declared himself to be a Christian and no Quaker and I furthermore said to him that he had by that Gospel confession of Faith manifestly contradicted what he had contended for in his present Discourse called Disputation and that he had also thereby confirmed the first part of the charge against them namely That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him was not the true Christ but the false Christ And at the same time Nathaniel Bethel spake to him saying Francis you were not long since of another Faith or of another Opinion for you told my Wife That if she did believe in any other Christ then in that Christ which was within her she would be damneâ— But Francis Jesuite-like openly denied that he had spoken any such Words to his Wise thereupon Nathaniel Bethel replied to him in the face of the Congregation that he would depose what he had declared to be a truth Since that time I have been informed of the occasion which invited these words from the sad-Quaker it was thus discoursing of the old Brigham a man of the fifth-Monarchy perswasion who said he hoped to live to see Jesus Christ on the Earth and to shake him by the hand then F. E. said But he sc Brigham should be first sure that Jesus Christ had a hand Bethels Wife then told him that Christ had now a hand for I do said she Believe that Christ hath now the same body in Heaven which he had when he was upon the Earth at this expression of her Faith this frank-Quaker was offended and could not forbear but in plain terms told her that she was a Blasphemer or had spoken Blasphemy and withal he further said unto her as above To wit That if she believed in any other Christ then in that Christ which was within her she would be damned O most horrid Quakerisme dig'd out of the bottomless Pit from whence thou hast received thy Ordination to be a Teaching Seducing and Lying Quaker For Francis thou knowest both this Man and his Wife to be persons of good Name credit and of honest reputation in this Country and therefore worthy to be believed before thy self Oh that the Lord would give thee grace to repent of thy evident wickedness and grievous God provoking Blasphemy proceeding from the false Christ within thee which undoubtedly thou hast wretchedly aggravated by making as much as in thee lay this faithful witness an open lyar and that as most of the Christian Hearers jâ—dged contrary to the Testimony of the render part thy Light-Christ-Conseâ—â—nce within Oh that I could prevailingly advise thee to think how deservedly the dreadful words of the holy Apostle Act. 13. 45. may be charged on thee viz. They the Jews were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming For 1. The manner of thy words as above plainly declare that thou were filled with envy 2. The matter of her words was the same with the thing spoken by Paul not only in ver 37 38. but also in chap. 3. 13. 21. The God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus whom the Heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things so that thou wert not only filled with envy but with blasâ—hemous contradictions now Francis this being thy case truly stated hast thou not indeed cause to repent over thy false-Christ that hath as above filled thy heart with envy and thy tongue with Blaspâ—â—my against the the truth of God believed and confesseâ— by that good Woman above By the way I may not omit Capt Bascombes mâ—tion maâ—e unto me upon the confession of F. E. his Faith above c. That Jesus of Nazareth was received up into Heaven to ask him where Heaven was it seems the Captain knew that the Teaching Quakers had Jesuitical-equivocations and mental reserves accordingly I askt him where Heaven was but he made me no Answer thereupon his tender headed-iniquity-Brother William Harriot said Heaven was where it should be I demanded of him where that was he replied like himself Heaven was there where God would have it to be by these impertinent silly shifts the intelligent Hearers perceived that they were basely afraid to stand to their Quakerisme Principles it s well known that at other times they have confidently avouched as their Scripture-wresting-Guids teach that Heaven as well as Hell is within them for which that Text especially is pretended Luk. 17. 21. For behold the Kingdome of God is within you sc the Pharisees ver 20. whereas by Kingdome of God in that place our Saviour understands the Gospel of God Preached as Mark 1. 14. Jesus came into Galilee Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome of God and in Luk. 10. 11. Be ye sure of this that the Kingdome of God is come nigh unto you likewise Mat. 21. 43. Therefore said Iesus unto the Pharisees the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and ver 45. When the chief Priests and Pharisees had heard his Parables they perceived that he spake of them These Scriptures do plainly shew that by kingdome of God
of Christ is our only material Saviour which as I suppose he understood not and therefore he said no more howbeit I expected some reply from Mrs. Patience Bullock no small Prophetess in their Libertine Synagogue but instead of a Reply she puts forth another Question sc Quest 2. Whether we could be saved by Christ without the operation of the Spirit in us I Answered Although it were granted sc That we could not be saved without the operations of the Spirit in us yet this would be nothing to the business befoâ—e us that is it doth not prove a Quakers-pretended Saviour within him to be the true not the false Christ forasmuch as the operations of the Spirit in us are not Christ God-man therefore not our Saviour again I told her let it be granted that we cannot be saved without the effects and operations of the spirit in us yet herehence it will not fâ—llow that we are saved for or by these effects and operations of the Spirit in us so that the meâ—r tendency of her Questions weâ—e by the judicious hearers plainly discerned to lay aside the material Saviour and to insinuate a Spirit and its operations still the Idol-light within to be the true Christâ— and only Saviour thereupon I denied the Spâ—rits operations in us to be the previous procuring cause or ground of redemption justification and salvation with God and that it is one thing to affirm that we cannot be saved without the efficacies of the spirit in us as evidential and another thing to be saved for or by these operations in us as causal to which she made no return Let me here add what her last Question hath since brought to my remembrance namely somewhat touching this Question the men of Rome have commonly expressed the Apostle say they excludes from justification works which we our selves do meaning Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness that we have done Rom. 11. 6. If it be by works then were grace no more grace that is as they wrongly gloss works done by our own strengâ—h without the help of the Grace of God not those works we do by the aid of the spirit within us which is the same with that of the carnal Prophetess above only it is expressed in plainer words so that in truth her Question is but a sly design to renew again the old Papish trick to elude the genuine force of such Texts as above asserted and in good earnest a Quakers light within is but the Pope without By the way in reference to her last question let two things be seriously considered 1. That Carnal Gospellers do but deceive their own souls by resting in a bare literal or historical assent that the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the true Christ and our only Saviour while they are in no degree partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. i. e. of the effectual graces of Christs spirit sc a living saith a lively hope love unfeigned true repentance c. but are slighters and professed rejectors of thâ—m 2. As Carnal Gospellers do thus deceive themselves so do Anti-Gospellars as Quakers no less yea much more put a â—heat upon their own Souls by their idle pretences viz. that the Graces effects and operations of the spirit within them maketh the true Christ and their only Saviour from sins Alas poor deluded ones this is to testifie that the effects of Christs death sufferings redemption and righteousness do constitute the true Christ and Mans only Saviour which effects and operations say ye being followed in all righteousness will bring you to Salvation now what is all this but in plain English to be brought to salvation by the obedience of works Oh let every good Christian tremble to think of the dreadful consequence of this your God provoking Doctrine for it is a manifest renouncing of the righteousness and obedience of the Son of God Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom God the Father hath exalted to be the only Saviour to give remission of sins and salvation to all that rightly believe on him as is aboundantly foreshewed Next to Mrs. Bullock the Champâ—â—n Francis starts up who who after the truths of God had silenced his fellow labourer in the work of the false Christ repeats some words in the New-Testament But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified by the spirit of God Answ 1. I requested him to shew me where I might find those words he replied that the words which he had spoken were Scripture But I said thou hast dâ—â—membred that Scripture as the Text it self made it to appear which is in the 1 Cor. 6. 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God 2. Note here that the only words which concern Justification sc In the Name of the Lord Jesus were omitted the more crafâ—ily to abuse our judgements that we might believe justification in the sight of God is a work of the spirit in us and consequently that a Quakers pretended Saviour was within him I pray thee Frances how doth this accord with the confession of thy faith contained in thy Answer to my Question above surely Captain Bâ—scomb might have told thee that thou wouldest deny that thy confession of the Faith not only by but before tomorrow by this all men may see what a blind Guid he is to be at once almost on a breath guilty of such gross contradiction and yet insensible of it 3. My special Answer was that Spirit in the last clause of that verse is to be referred to sanctification as it is in all other New Testament Scriptures 2 Thess 2. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 2. c. and to be sanctified is mostly attributed to the spirits efficiency and as to the Text above it is as if the order of the words had been thus But ye are sanctified by the spirit of our God but ye are justified by the Name of the Lord Jesus I know that the Teaching Seducing Quakers do convert the transposition in the Text into a confusion by confounding justification and sanctification where is the transposition in that Text doth no more coâ—found just fication and saâ—ctification then the transposition in Mat. 7. 6 confounds Swine and Dogs Give not saith Christ that which is holy to Dogs neither cast your Pâ—arl before Swine lest they traâ—pâ—e them under their feet and turn again and rent you Though turn again and rent you be in the last clause of the â—erse yet it is to be referred â—o the Dâ—gâ— not to the Swine for as Swine do trampâ—e under heir â—eeâ— so Dogs 〈…〉 upon a man renting and tearing him down Thiâ— instance plainly sheâ—s that the 〈◊〉 posiâ—ion in 1 Cor. 6. 11. above 〈…〉 joyning of sanctâ—ficatiâ—n to he Spirit nor justification to the Name of the Lord Jesus alone it being according to the tenour of thâ— whole
is to make the Lord Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyars and False-witnesses of God which I proved in their particular order from the Scriptures of God As 1. That this their Teaching doth as much as in them lies make the Lords-Christ a lyar for we read Joh. 9. 35. 36 37. Dost thou saith Christ to the Man that was born blind Believe on the Son of God he answered and said who is the Lord that I might believe on him And Jesus said unto him thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee Note If our Lord spoke truth here then he whom this man both saw and talked with with his bodily eyes and tongue was the Messias the Christ and Saviour the Son of God and in Ioh. 4. 25 26. The Woman said unto him I know that Messias our Saviour cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things Jesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he Here observe the Lord Jesus Christ as of purpose to rebuke this lying Spirit of a Quakers Mysticalâ— Invisible Flesh and Blood their Internal saving Christ doth testifie of himself that he who was both seen and heard by the bodily eyes and ears of the Woman with whom he conversed was the Messias the true Christ and Teacher of all things And in Mark 14. 61 62. Again the High Priest asked him and said unto him art thou the Christ the Son of the Blessed and Jesus said I am here likewise the Lord Jesus testifâ—ed of himself that he on whom the High-Priest looked and to whom he spake was the Christ the Son of the blessed Moreover Mat. 16. 13 to 18. the Lord Jesus proposeth two questions to his Disciples First What Opinion others had of him ver 13. Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am and they said ver 14. Some say thou art Iohn the Baptist some Elias and others Ieremias or one of the Prophets when Christ heard of those various apprehensions which were abroad concerning him he presently asked his Disciples a second Question ver 15. But whom say ye that I the Son of Man ver 13. am Peter in the Name and as the mouth of the rest gives Answer ver 16. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Christ was so highly satisfied with this Answer that first he pronounceth him blessed ver 17. and secondly declares that this confession is the rock upon which the Church is built and withal Christ assures his Disciples that against this Rock the joyn confession sc That Iesus the Son of man is the Christ the Son of the living God the Gates of hell shall never prevail O ye Teaching Quakers is not this enough to open the eyes of your blind Idol within Again how hath our Lord himself said of himself even since his being ascended and glorified Act. 22. 8. I am Iesus of Nazareth whereby is plainly affirmed the now present glorified existence of the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth and hereunto agrees that which he foretold of himself Mat. 24. 30. And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory the whole is this if Jesus of Nazareth whom they wickedly call the out side Christ be not the true Christ and our only Saviour then he is according to a Quakers inside Christ a Lyar in all the words uttered by him above but let God be true and his Enemies Liars such Liars are Teaching Seducing Quakers yea accursed Liars Gal. 1. 8 9. as above 2. That this Teaching in their Meetings doth as much as in them lies make the holy Spirit of Christ a Lyar for we read in the 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. the Prophets searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory Salvation Grace ver 10. that should follow and in Acts 5. 30 31 32. the Holy Ghost doth witness that God raised up the same Jesus whom the Iews slew and exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour Likewise Luk. 2. 26 27 28 30. That the Holy Ghost revealed to just and devour Simeon that the Child Jesus which he took up in his arms and saw with his bodily eyes was the Lords Christ and Salvation prepared before the face of all people And Paul also by the inspiration of the Spirit assures us Rom. 5 15 That the Grace of God and gift by Grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded to many this one Man is no other then Iesus of Nazareth the man approved of God not in but among the Iews who with their wicked hands did take and him they crucified and slew Act. 2. 22 23. The sum is this If the Man Iesus Christ of Nazareth whom the Iews slew and hanged on a tree and God raised from the dead the third day and exalted to be the only Saviour be a spiritual inside Christ a Heavenly Man of Mystical Invisible flesh and blood then the holy spirit of Truth must be a Lyar which to affirm as Quakers in effect do is horrid Blasphemy 3. They do in their Meetings and aimes make the Angels of Christ Liars as it appears by the Evangelists Mat. 1. 20 21. Behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to Ioseph saying Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost and she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his Name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins And in Luk. 1. 30 31 32. And the Angel said unto her fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God and behold thou shalt conceive in thy Womb and bring forth a Son and shall call his Name Iesus and he shall be great and shall be called the Sâ—m of the Highest and again on his Birth day Luk. 2. 10 11. And the Angel said unto them the Shepherds fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for to you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and ver 13 14 15. Suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth peace good will towards men And immediately upon this blessed Remark on the Babe ver 12. wrapped in swadling clothes lying in a Manger the Angels went away from the Shepherds into Heaven whence I do inter sc if the Lords Christ conceived in the Womb of Mary and born of her in the City of David be not the true Christ and our only Saviour but a mystical unconceived and unborn Christ then the glorious Angels of God must be liars in all the expressions which they declared to Ioseph Mary and the Shepherds but most sure I am that every good Christian
4 Quest Or can you tell that Christ put off his body since he came to Heaven and Stephen saw him there I am said he most sure that you can tell no such thing for the testimony of the holy Angels is against it for they did assure the Disciples that the same Jesus that they saw ascend should be so seen to come again Act. 1. 9 10 11. And will not these four things put you out of doubt sc that Christ hath the same body now that he had upon the earth Oh how great is the ground of a true Christians comfort that the same person that died for us is thus sate down at the right hand of God aad that there we have the same Jesus interceeding for us in heaven on the other side is it not matter of dread and terror to the wicked both in practice and judgment that still continue to oppose an exalted Christ and prefer their base Lusts and Errors before this glorious Lord Jesus The second part of the charge being fully ended W. Wilkinson called on me to make Good the third part of the Charge viz. That the Prime Principles of a Quaker are the same which were held and professed by the Beasts that Paul fought with at Ephesus Which I thus Aâ—gued It appears by the manifold Arguments which the Apostle Paul used towards the Corinthians 1 Cor. Chap. 15. to prove the Resurrection of Christs body from the dead and the bodies of the Saints by him now their Principles were these to wit 1. That the body of Christ was not raised from the dead and consequently he is not Jesus a Saviour 2. That no Mans body shall be râ—ised from the dead and consequently Christ shall not be the riser of the dead The first of these the Apostle confutes in Chap-above ver 3. 4. For I declared unto you first of all that which I received how that Christ dieaâ— or our sins according to the Scriptures And that he was buried and that â—he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures And the second likewise in ver 13 14 15. c. But if there be no Resuâ—rection of the dead then is Christ not risen And if Christ be not risen we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that bâ— raised up Christ whom he raised not up iâ— so be that the â—ead rise not Here hence Paul infers ver 32. If after the manner oâ— meâ— I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus what advantageth is me if the dead rise nâ—t let us â—at and drink for tomorrow we die As if the Apostle had said if it must be with our Bodies as with Beâ—sts after Death then it would be best for us to Live as Beasts 〈◊〉 Time of Life intimating that there resolves and desires is to live in Brutish lust pleasures these are the most predominate motivâ—s that perswaded them to deny and oppose the Resurrection of the dead which opposition I charged upon the Quakers then present To which William Wilkinson replyed saying Shew us an express Scripture which saith That the Beasts which Paul fought with at Ephesus denyed the Resurrection of the Dead I answered 1. It was plainly implyed in that Text of Scripture and it doth evidently concenter therein Besides in reason there is nothing that could be the ground or occasion of this Fight or violent contention between Paul and these Brutish disputants but the Doctrine of the Resurrection 2. I gave him the liberty to put his own interpretation upon the words in vers 32. above To which he made no reply at all Let me here add It is more then probable that the Beasts Paul sought with at Ephesus were the same persons or of the same beastly perswasion which in other places opposed Paul's Doctrines of Faith in Jesus and the Resurrection of the Dead As in Athens Act. 17. 18. Then certain Philosophers of the Epicurians whom Calvin on the Text calls Beasts encountered him and some said What will this babler say othersome He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods because be preacheth unto them Jesus and the Resurrection at which some mocked vers 23. And in the beginning of this 19 Chap. vers 1 2 3. We read that Paul went into the Synagogue of the Jews in Thessalonia and three Sabbath dayes reasoned with the Jews out of the Scripture Opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead And that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ But what was the issue the 4. vers tells us sc Some of the Jews believed of the devout Greek a great multitude and of the chief Women not a few but the 5. vers informs us That othersome of the hearers believed not moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a Company and set all the City on an uproar against Paul because he preached Jesus and the Resurrection Therefore 10. The Brethren immediatly sent away Paul by night unto Berea who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews and preached the same Doctrine v. 1â— But when the Jews vers 13. of Thessalonia i. e. the lewd followers of the baser sort of the Jews vers 5. had knowledge that the Word of God was preached of Paul at Berea they came thither also and stirred up the People then immediatly the Brethren sent Paul away vers 14. and they that conducted him brought him to Athens vers 15. In the next Chapter ch 18. 1. we read That Paul departed from Athens and came to Coâ—inth And he vers 4. reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and perswaded the Jews and Greeks namely to believe in Jesus and the Resurrection as in all places aâ—ore expressed but when he was here also opposed vers 6. He departed thence and sailed into Syria vers 18 and he came to Ephesus vers 19 and entered into the synagogue and reasonâ—d with the Iews Though some perhaps might believe his Doctrines because it is said vers 20. He was desired to tarry a longer time with them Yet it is very probable that he was there opposed by some others as at Thessalionica above either at this or some other time And according to his first Epistle to the Corinthians giveth them an account of it ch 15. 32. Now if the Beasts therein mentioned were not the same individual person yet they were specifically the same i. e. of the same Malignant quality and rotten judgement with those lewd fellows of the baser or more bruitish sort which in Act. 17. 5 c. above so strongly denied and opposed Jesus of Nazareth to be the true Christ and only Saviour with the Resurrection of the dead upon the whole ye Teaching Seducing Quakers may run and read in the Scriptures of God what lewd and base fellows have been according to the testimony of the holy Spirit of truth your Predecessors and of your bruitish Principles sc 1. Denying Jesus
adds Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh for the spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 5. 13. Purifying the heart Act. 15. 9. doth by that means not only resist occasional prejudices or Lustful desires of revenge but begets also a composure of offences and a healing of injuries which are apt to arise from one Saint towards another hence the Apostle infers walk in the Spirit that is saith Calvin in loc be ye exercised therein wrestle in Spirit against all prejudicial returns of the flesh following the motions sayings and actings of the Rule of the Spirit which is the inspired word for 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and in so doing saith Calvin ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh i. e. of corrupt sinful nature as in the 16th ver above asserted surely then the Spirit of God doth not send us from the written rule to a Quakers Spirit their Idol Light within as the only infallible rule of Faith and Life 2. Arg. The Spirit was before the written Scriptures and therefore the Spirit in us ought to be our Rule for Faith and Life Reply We know that Seducing Quakers teach because the Spirit is anticedent to the Scriptures therefore none can walk in the Scriptures till they walk in the Spirit the Consequence is as lame as a Teaching Quaker is blind however it is granted that the Spirit is anticedent to the Scripture in respect of time or as to the revelation of the Scripture howbeit the Scriptures are before the Spirit in respect of aid assistance thus the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 12. But unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which Text of Scripture clearly shews that the Holy Spirit in respect of special help and assistance is subsequent to the Scriptural Gospel Preached this receives further confirmation from the Prophet Isai 8. 20. To the Law and to the testimony the written word if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light or beam of the Spirit in them fairly intimating that the Spirits walk in a way of aid is in the paths of the Scriptures and consequently no Christians can walk in the Spirit unless he first walk in and by the Scriptures Again Joh. 7. 38. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said but this spake he of the Spirit ver â—9 sc of the power and help of the Spirit as subsequent to the Scriptures and in Luk. 5. 17. And as he Christ was Teaching the Power sc the Spirit of the Lord was present to heal them likewise Joh. 16. 13. When the Spirit of truth is come he will guid you into all truth that is into all Scripture Truth so then though the Spirit be anticedent to Scriptures in regard of Revelation yet in respect of aid help and assistance which is the matter in hand the Spirit is subsequent to the Scriptures and in this sense the Holy Scriptures are the infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life Rom. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 3. 15. 3d. Argument That there was a Rule of Faith and Life long before the Scriptures were written Therefore the written Scripture is not the Rule of Faith and Life Reply This Consequence also is weak and infirm it doth not therefore follow that the wrâ—tten Scripture is not our Rule because there was a Rule before the Scripture was written For this is that which we affirm sc That the matter contained in the Holy Scriptures is the only infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life which matter now contained in the written Scripture is the same with that which was before the Scriptures were written for when God revealed himself by visions Dreams c. It was still the sâ—me Gospel matter even the same that is expressed in the written word of the New-Testament There hath not been since the Gospel was Preached to Adam Gen. 3. 15. any increase of Gospel truths in respect of essentials but only in respect of explications though the manner of conveyance is different then and now yet the matter or Gospel Doctrines conveyed is still the same T is true from Adam to Moses more then 2000. years the People of God had no word written yet they had a word given from God to be their Rule else their Worship would have been like a Quakers Will worship A contrived or devised Worship to pacific or please God he could never bear with had not the Law of Sacrificing and the like been by Gods institution and appointment the Lord would have rejected it now though Sacrifices which typed out Christ were offered before the Law of Sacrificing was written yet not before the Law of Sacrificing was given for it was given from the beginning as all other parts of worship were being carried from one to another by tradition from the Fathers to the Children as in the holy stories of the Patriarchs it doth appear as it were from hand to hand till at last the Laâ— was written and the Scriptures penned by Moses well then though the Rule they had before was not an institution written yet it was an institution sent forth given by God himself which Rule of Faith and Life then given was I say again as to the matter therein contained the same with the instituted Rule written now then all that ye Teaching Quakers have said is no more but this sc That you deny this way of written Scripture to have alwayes been the only way of Gospel-conveyance and from thence ye pretend to advance and extoll your unwritten Scripâ—ure that Idol light within that thereby ye may the more craftily throw down the Scriptures inspired of God surely this Plot cannot be from the spirit of the true Christ but from your own as the Lord knows blind rotten and wicked spirit which tells you that you are no further bound to obey the written Scriptures then your Light that false Christ within shall make you willing to obey Arg. 4. That the Spirit is not to be tried by the Scriptures but the Scriptures are to be tried by the spirit therefore the spirit not the Scriptures is our standing Rule for Faith and Life Reply The Father of lies cannot make a greater lie then that which is contained in this Argument for it plainly makes the inspiring Spirit and the inspired Scripture to be of different natures which is contrary to the many Scriptures of truth afore asserted there 's not any Quaker that hath to this day produced one Text of Scripture to make good this Argument where is that place of Scripture to be found which saith the Scriptures are to be tried by the spirit doth not the spirit it self require us 1 John 4. 1. not to believe every spirit but to try not the Scriptures but the spirits i. e. spiritual