the whole Godhead is perfect and infinite in Being and Power and Wisdom and Goodness in which all his Attributes are comprehended but yet a distinct Vnderstanding of them all is not of absolute necessity to Salvation That this God is the Creator Preserver and Disposer of all things and the Owner and Ruler of Mankind most Just and Merciful that as he is the beginning of all so he is the ultimate end and the chief good of Man which before all things else must be loved and Sought Concerning the Son we must moreover believe That he is the same God with the Father the second Person in Trinity Incarnate and so became Man by a Personal Vnion of the Godhead and Manhood He omitteth his being conceived of the holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary which was needful to have been exprest it being a great Article of our Christian Faith That he was without Original or Actual Sin having a sinless Nature and a sinless Life That he fullfilled all Righteousness and was put to Death as a Sacrifice for our sins and gave himself a Ransom for us and being buried he rose again from the dead and afterward ascended into Heaven where he is Lord of all and interceedeth for Believers That he will come again and raise the dead and judge the World the Righteous to Everlastâ—â—â— Life and the Wicked to Everlasting Punishment That this is the onâ— Redeemer the Way the Truth and the Life neither is there access to thâ— Father but by him nor Salvation in any other Concerning the Holy Ghost we must believe That he is the same one God the third Person in Trinity sent by the Father and the Son to inspire the Prophets and Apostles and thaâ— the Doctâ—ine inspired and miraculously attested by him is true that he iâ— the Sanctifier of these that shall be saved renewing them after the Image of God in Holiness and Righteoâ—sness giving them true Repentance Faith Hope Love and sincere Obedience causing them to overcome the Flesh the World and the Devil thus gathering a holy Church on Earth to Christ who have by his Blood the Pardon of all their sins and shall have Everlasting Blâ—ssâ—dness with God This saith Richard Baxter is the Essence of the Christian Faith as to the Matter of it And now as concerning that judged by Richard Baxter the Essence of the Christian Faith as to the Matter of it I declare sincerely without all Equivocation or mental Reservation in the true and genuine sence of the Words that I have transcribed out of his said Treatise that I know not wherein I or my Brethren of my Faith and Perswasion differ from him in any one particular as to the matter of it or substance therein contained the only exception we have is against that unscriptural Term or Phrase of Three Persons or a Trinity of Persons but we own sincerely That our Faith ought to be and is in God the Father the Son and the holy Ghost and that these Names are Names of Relation respecting the Relations as well as the Relative Offices and Works of those Three and this being granted by us in the sincerity of our Hearts we are excused or cleared by John Calvin for whose Memory I suppose C. Mather hath as full and great esteem as for R. Baxter for in his first Book of Institutions cap. 13. n. 5. he saith expresly Vtinam quidem sepulta essent se inventâ— Nomina as he expresly calleth them Trium Personarum constaret modo hec inter omnes Fides Patrem et Filium et Spiritum esse unum Deum nec tamen aut Filium esse Patrem aut Spiritum Filium sed proprietate quadam esse distinctos neque enim tam precisa sum austeritate ut obnudas voculas digladiari sustineam In English thus I wish saith he the invented Names viz. of Three Persons were buried providing this Faith were manifest among all that the Father the Son and the Spirit is one God and yet that the Son is not the Father nor that the Spirit is the Son but that they are distinct by a certain Property to wit in their â—â—lative Attributes as that the Father did beget the Son and the â—on was begotten of the Father and that the holy Spirit did proceed â—â—om both for I am not of such precise Austerity said Calvin that â—or bare small Words I would contend and withall he confesseth That the Orthodox antiently did not agree about these Terms or invented Words â—â—at he acknowledgeth were invented since the Apostles dayes to guard â—gainst the Arrian Sabellian and other Heresies And therefore since we are altogether free of these Heresies and that we detest them from our very Souls no sober Christian will judge uncharitably of us in that respect And as for the word Distinct if some of our Friends taking it to signifie distant or seperated asunder one from another as in remote and distant places have refused it in this and other matters as indeed sometimes at least vulgarly it doth so signifie as when we say America is distinguished from Europe by a great spacious Sea interveening they ought not to be accused for so doing seeing in that other sence of the word Distinct that is more in use among Schollars as when we say Things are distinct when the one is not the other they own a Distinction as that the Father is not the Son the Son is not the Father though he is our Father and is expresly call'd in Scripture the Everlasting Father and Christ's Manhood and Body is not the Godhead and yet one Christ as the Body of a Man is not his Soul and yet Body and Soul is one Man and in this second sence we do allow the word distinct And as to the Manner of receiving the Christian Faith we grant with him first That it must not only be received as true into our Understanding by a special divine Illumination that is supernatural but must be imbraced by the Will Heart and Affections as good yea exceeding good and worthy of all acceptation by a special divine Motion and working of the holy Spirit that is supernatural in upon the Will Heart and Affections 2 dly That as touching all the peculiar Mysteries and Doctrines of Faith the Scriptures have been Instrumental by and together with the immediate working of the Spirit to beget in us the true Faith of them But in this we differ I suppose from him as well as from C. Mather and his Brethren of New-England that whereas they hold That the Spirit of God worketh in Believers Effectively but not Objectively or by way of sensible Object or sensibly and perceptibly by its own Self-Evidence and Demonstration to mens Hearts and Souls We affirm That the Spirit of God worketh in Believers both Effectively 〈◊〉 also Objectively or by way of sensible Object or sensibly and â—â—â—ceptibly by its own Evidence and Demonstration to mens Heaâ—â—â— and Souls And this divers call'd Protestants have
acknowledged 〈◊〉 us though denyed by C.M. and his Brethren of New-England 〈◊〉 yet I suppose R. Baxter will not call this a Fundamental Error in 〈◊〉 People called Quakers seeing it contradicts none of the Fundameâ—â—â—â— Articles delivered by him in his said Treatise And if any say or object That if the Spirit worketh by way of 〈◊〉 sensible Object upon the inward and spiritual Senses of Believers 〈◊〉 would make void all use of the Scriptures as being so much as the Instrument or Instrumental to our Faith But I Answer denying this Consequence and by distinguishing the Object of our Faith to wit that the Scriptures are the Instrumental and secondary Object of our Faith and the holy Spirit the principal and primary Object of our Faith as it is sensibly felt to work upon our inward and spiritual Senses together with the Father and the Son Even as in outward and natural Objects that work upon our outward and natural Senses some are principal and others are instrumental as in our natural sight of visible Things on Earth as Horses Woods Trees Beasts the Sun's Light is the principal Object of our sight but the things are at least the secondary and instrumental Object thereof or as when we read on a Book the Light that we read with is the principal Object and the Letters of the book are the secondary and instrumental and though we cannot see the Letters of the Book without some light yet we may see light yea the Sun himself if we have good Eyes without the Book and so God and Christ and the Spirit may be inwardly seen felt and known and is frequently seen felt known and enjoyed by the inward and spiritual Senses of Believers without all present use of Letters or Books when the Knowledge is Intuitive and Sensible But as for the Doctrinal Knowledge as we acknowledge it is requisite in order to bring us to so high an enjoyment of God and Christ as Vision or Intuitive Knowledge or Intuition so we grant it is commonly wrought in us and increased by means of the holy Scriptures instrumentally working with the holy Spirit and that therefore the holâ— Scriptures are of great profit and service to all Ranks and Conditions of People yea to such of the highest spiritual Attainments while remaining in the mortal Body I 〈…〉 therefore with and in behalf of my Friends and Brethren of 〈…〉 Faith and Perswasion with me in all parts of the World 〈◊〉 this Solemn Appeal to you the more Sober impartial and Judiâ—â—â—â—â— People in Boston and else-where in New-England to whose 〈◊〉 this may come Whether Cotton Mather is not extreamly Unâ—â—â—â—â—itable and possessed with a Spirit of Prejudice and envious Zeal 〈…〉 R. Baxters phrase against the Quakers in general and me in â—â—â—â—â—cular as guilty of manifold Heresies Blasphemies and strong 〈◊〉 to the rendering us No Christians in the lowest degree or 〈◊〉 while I suppose he hath som Charity to some in the Church of 〈◊〉 called Papists and to Lutherans Aâ—minians and divers others 〈◊〉 differ widely from him yet agreeing in the afore-said Fundamentals when we hold the same Fundamentals of Christian Doctrine 〈◊〉 Faith both with Rich. Baxter and many others as so declared by â—hem And notwithstanding of Cotton Mathers strong Asseverations â—gainst us as if we denyed almost all or most of the Fundamental Articles 〈◊〉 the Christian and Protestant Faith yet he shall never be able to prove it That we are guilty of this his so extreamly rash and uncharitable Charge either as in respect of the Body of that People called in scorn Quakers or in respect of any particular Writers or Publishers of our Doctrines and Principles and Preachers among us generally owned and approved by us as men of a sound Judgment and Understanding And as for his Citations out of the Quakers printed Books Treatises I would have you to consider that most of them all are borrowed and taken not from our own Books but from our professed Adversaries men known well enough to be possessed with Prejudice against us such as Thomas Hicks and John Faldo and others whoâ— our Friends in Old-England and particularly George Whitehead and William Penn have largely answered yea I do here solemnly charge Cotton Mather to give us but one single instance of any one Fundamenâ—al Article of Christian Faith denyed by us as a People or by any one of our Writers or Preachers generally owned and approved by us And if perhaps there be any Citations that C.M. cites out of our Books that he hath read that seem to confirm his Charge in one or two particulars against us I do sincerely answer that I am at a loss to find them in these Books partly because divers of these Books cited by him I am altogether a stranger to them and know not where to find them in all America and partly because he not citing the Chapters Sections Parts or Pages of them that may be 〈…〉 here in America I cannot but with great pains and expence of 〈…〉 find them out and I judge I can much better spend my precious 〈…〉 than in searching of them and it sufficeth to me and I hope dot◠〈◊〉 many others that according to the best Knowledge I have of 〈◊〉 People called Quakers and these most generally owned by them 〈◊〉 Preachers and Publishers of their Faith of unquestioned estâ—â—â— among them and worthy of double Honour as many such there 〈◊〉 I know none that are guilty of any one of such Heresies and Blaspâ—â—mies as he accuseth them Yet we deny not but as it hath happeâ—ed and doth daily happen to Writers and Preachers belonging to 〈◊〉 other Societies so it may have happened to some among us to havâ— at times in writing or speaking delivered things not so warily and cautiously worded in every respect as need were But in this case all but prejudiced Persons will say If it can be found by comparing their words one with another that their sence or meaning is found though not so altogether safely or cautiously worded in every respect Charity is to be allowed and the best Construction ought to be given to their words or they themselves or their Friends for them in respect of their absence or decease who did best know them ought to be allowed to give their sence of them as I have done in the sincerity of my heart according to my best understanding and knowledge of them and I think I should know and do know these called Quakers and their Principles far better than Cotton Mather or any or all his Brethren having been conversant with them in publick Meetings as well as in private Discourses with the most noted and esteemed among them for about Twenty Eight Years past and that in may places of the World in Europe and for these divers Years in America And I further say That if any things through inadvertency have been said or writ by any of us and that it can be found
place though no Quakers did punish her as I was informed with Imprisonment which the Quakers I believe in general that heard of it did judge was too little and that she deserved much more In his 6 th Assertion he doth not fairly state the Question and upon his unfair â—â—ating it doth seek to fix upon us Blasâ—hâ—mies and then cryeth out 〈…〉 such Blasphemies as 〈◊〉 that according to us The Counsel or Decree of God and consequently the very Essence of God being one therewith doth depend on the free will of man Which is a most gross and wretched Perversion for we say the Decree and Counsel of God doth extend to all evil Actions of men permissively but not effectively i. e. so as not to be the Cause and Determiner of them and Gods Decree and Counsel hath no Cause to depend upon without God himself as he doth falsly insinuate against us Nor is Gods Permission as concerning Evil Actions as Judas betraying Christ and the Jews crucifying him a bare Permission as if God only did look on as an idle Spectator which is most absurd to imagine but he most justly most wisely and most soveraignly bounds and limits all evil Actions of men that they neither do nor can do any thing but what is for the glory of God and the good of his chosen as it is written The Wrath of Man shall praise thee and the remainder of it thou wilt restrain But C.M. and his brethren are too guilty of Blasphemy that affirm That all evil Actions of Men and Devils come to pass by the Effective Decree of God that doth infallibly and inevitably determine and move them to the same and so say the Ranters fathering all their wicked Actions upon God And it is a gross Contradiction in C.M. to himself to say That God doth determine all evil Actions by his effective Decree and yet is not the Author of them for to effect a thing so that it mâ—st be done and to be the Author of it is all one to all of common sense In his 7 th Assertion he proceedeth in the like gross Perversion and mis-stating of things and as to the first part of it fighteth against his own shadow and not my Assertion for I granted That God hath chosen all the Heirs of Salvation unto Faith and Holiness as the means and unto Eternal Salvation and Glory as the end in Christ Jesus before the Foundation of the World and also I have granted That all are not elected nor are any elected who perish finally and yet this doth not infer eternal Reprobation because Elected and Reprobated are not Contradictory Terms as I have formerly declared and yet he hath not proved that they are but maketh a noise strongly asserting what he doth not prove Nor doth it follow that Reprobation is before the Foundation of the World because Gods Decree and Purpose to destroy all finally Impenitent Sinners is before the Foundation of the World for though Gods Decree be before all Time yet it doth respect all Reprobates as it doth consider them in Time having refused all the tender Offers of Gods Grace and Mercy unto the very last And as Gods Decree of creating men doth not infer that men were created from Eternity or that mens Creation is co-evous with Gods Decree so nor doth it follow that the Reprobation of men finally Impenitent is co-evous with Gods Decree for Reprobation is not the Decree of God as C.M. doth strongly assert but doth no wise prove And if some should say as I know some do say That Election though in being before the Foundation of the World in Christ is not simply or only the Decree of God as it is an Immanent Act of God but is some-what by way of an Effect resulting or flowing from Gods Decree existing in Christ the Head and Mediator of all Gods Elect before the Foundation of the World For as C.M. cannot disprove it as contrary to Scripture so it is not inconsistent with what divers soâ—er Protestants have favoured to wit That Christ was Mediator from the beginning and consequently had somthing to be as a cloathing to his Godhead altogether necessary to his being Mediator from the beginning although he was not incarnate or cloathed with flesh until the fullness of time that he took flesh in the Virgins Womb and if Christ was Mediator from the beginning partly invested with his Mediatory Nature though not with Flesh till the fullness of Time came it is both very easie and very comfortable to the Saints to understand how they were elected in Christ their Head before the Foundation of the World and that this Election had its being as the Effect of Gods eternal Love and Counsel in Christ the head of his Elect Members In his 8 th Assertion he is wholly idle and impertinent for we own as much as he That there is in God the Father the Son and the Spirit and that they are One in Being and Three in relative Attributes and Properties and we dislike nothing but the unscriptural invented Names of Three Persons for which Calvin hath sufficiently excused us as I have above showed In his 9 th Assertion he wholly fighteth with his own shadow and giveth up the Cause acknowledging That the Price paid by our Lord in his Death was indeed sufficient for all Mankind and that the benefit of it is tendered and proffered unto all Indefinitely if they will believe but he should have told us how the benefit of it is tendered unto all seeing many Millions of men never had it outwardly preached to them nor ever had any outward Testimony of it by men and if he would stand to this the Controversie in this Particular would be at an end But for his Inferences and Consequences which he would fix upon us most perversly we utterly deny them to flow justly from our innocent Faith according to Scripture which is That Christ dyed for all men c. As that First The Virtue and Success of our Lords Death depends upon the Free VVill of Man 2dly That man in the principal in his own Salvation 3dly That the Number of Persons interested in our Lords Death is not certain for we say none have a true and real Interest in Christ or in his Death but sincere Believers 4thly That Simon Peter was no more beholden to the Merit of our Lord than Simon Magus or any that perish Though it will be hard for C.M. to prove that Simon Magus was a Reprobate And 5thly That God in sending his blessed Son to dye had as full a purpose to save them that Perish as them that shall be saved These and the like absurd and Illogical or unreasonable Consequences we altogether deny they being only C. M's Perversion In his 10 th Assertion he doth as grosly pervert the state of the Question as in any of the former for we deny not but affirm That our Justification is by the Righteousness or Obedience of the Lord