bodies and estates but also to their souls and eternal estates affirm that to be true which to your own eyes is manifestly false or that to be false which is true then he is what I have said But G.F. doth so oftener than once twice or thrice Again if G.F. doth bely not an ordinary person a mortal man or Prince but God Almighty our Lord Jesus and the Holy Ghost then he is much more guilty Moreover if he deal thus not only through sloth or pride or carelesness but also through design and purpose then he is an Impostor with a witness Lastly if he doth that which he judges and condemns in others and much more than that then he is much more guilty of that condemnation Therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest dost the same things Rom. 2.1 I suppose you will not require it of me to bring proof that George Fox prosesseth himself and is esteem'd by you for a Prophet seeing your principle doth not allow any to be of the ministery but him or her that hath an immediate revelation or a Prophet besides Solomon Eccles no mean man has born so great a testimony to him that even John Penniman has impeacht it of Blasphemy And G. Fox himself in his Book intituled The great Mystery of the great Whore which I shall animadvert upon saith p. 82. How can ye be ministers of the spirit and not the Letter if ye be not infallible And how can they but delude people that are not infallible c p. 72. And again Is it not blasphemy for you to speak and preach sure there is the same reason of writing that which ye have not received from heaven Here we see we are to expect nothing from George Fox but what is infallible otherwise he is a Deceiver and a Blasphemer And that we may be confident he will not impose upon us as others do he tells us p. 50. of that Book You run into all Absurdities that give your meaning to Scriptures Will not this man be far from falsifying Scripture who will not so much as give his meaning to them We shall see that afterward But first I must shew you how severe he is in taking notice of his Adversaries misciting or defective citing of Scripture For misciting Scripture see p. 7. Where he brings in his Adversary saying Whosoever saith he hath no sin deceives himself and he saith He perverteth the Scripture of John He wrongs Johns words and puts He for We. I know not whether this change makes any alteration in the sence but it 's fit we should be exact in these matters He charges his Adversary with perverting the Scripture upon the same account p. 37. and how often besides I know not Nay so wonderfully punctual is he in the citing of Scripture that he will not have the pronoun Ye expressed where of necessity it must be understood Seep 188. And Christ did not say destroy ye this Temple thou perverts his words Methinks he is more nice than wise at this turn Now for defective citations see p. 75. and 29. They are both to the same purpose He cites the Priests saying And the Holy Scripture is able to make men wise unto salvation He answers among other things That ever the ministers of Newcastle should say that the Scriptures are able to make men wise unto salvation and leave out faith It is to be acknowledged a defective citation but in the mean time that I may note it by the way neither doth the putting in of Faith make it full except he add also which is in Christ Jesus See 2 Tim. 3.15 For there may be faith which is not in Christ hence Christ saith Joh. 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me But George did not care for that Again under the head of Scriptures corrupted by the Translators he reckons Rom. 1.19 where In the Greek Lat. Eng. Copies saith he it is speaking of the Gentiles that which is known of God is manifest in them or made known in them though some dare say and do say among them The like corruption he finds in 11 Cor. 2.6 We speak wisdom among them that are perfect in the Greek saith he it is in them that are perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And yet it 's doubful whether that is good English though it is good Greek He might have spar'd the Translators such a small fault but indeed among about 22. places of Scripture there vindicated by this Grecian with whom nothing is more common than false English construction and oftentimes non-sence from the Translators corruption 12 or 13. of them depend upon the rendring of this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in But this observation tended to the credit of their beloved Doctrine of The light within Once more for the credit of right citing Scripture In p. 64. he corrects his Adversary for not speaking proper like Scripture And saith he there is a proof to thee that the Quakers are sent of God who speak to thee of the Scriptures right as they are I hope then he will give us leave to conclude they are not sent of God if it be apparent they do otherwise And now to the trial 1. The first Scripture which I shall pitch upon as misrecited in his language perverted and corrupted shall be that in Joh. 1.9 the very foundation of all his Doctrine which he repeats to nauseating often times Thrice sometimes Four times in one paragraph Thrice he has it or a great part of it in 8. lines p. 21. And he cites it almost as often wrong as right The Scripture runs thus in our Translation That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world In the Greek it is coming not that cometh and so if may refer to light as well as to man but George Fox p. 9. hath it thus And John said Every man that cometh into the world is enlightned And p. 10. which every man that cometh into the world being enlightned that through it he might believe And p. 24. which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withal See also p. 11.15 with 20 or 40 more But now has he observed that exactness which he requires in others may there be no difference between lighteth and enlightneth and must every man of necessity be enlightned because the light lighteth him If there were no difference yet he is faulty according to his own law for he has changed both the phrase and the tense or time But there is great difference in that case for example in another word Rom. 2.4 non knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance but we cannot say that impenitent hearts of whom the Apostle speaks are led to repentance for God is said sometimes to do that which is not effected because he doth all that is fit on his part for the
effecting it So our Lord Christ saith Matt. 5.15 Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and it giveth light to all that are in the house And yet if a man shut his eyes or have very sore eyes he shall not be enlightned See also Luk. 11.33 and 36. 2. The next shall be the 7 th verse of the same Joh. 1. which he has relation to in p. 13. or else I know not where to find it where he answers thus Contrary to John's doctrin and Christ's who saith The light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is the true light that men through the light might believe and in p. 10. cited but now that through it he might believe notwithstanding if you take the pains to read it you will find it thus that all men through him might believe and read that and the former verse and you will perceive that him refers to John Baptist and not to the light as George Fox would have it So that he doth not only change the word but brings in thereby a divers sence of his own See p. 28. and many other places 3. The Third shall be that in 2 Cor. 4.6 which he cites almost as oft as that of Joh. 1.9 but seldom right as it is but thus or the like p. 11. Ans When as Paul said that the light which shined in their hearts to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ If it be non-sence I cannot help it p. 21. he saith which was the work of the true Apostles to bring people to the light within that shined in their hearts to give c. See p. 41 59. and 20. places more to the same purpose Only in p. 59. when he had cited the Scripture after his wonted false manner attributing that to the light which the Text attributes to God he saith Mark he saith the light is that which gives the knowledge c. What a strange degree of confidence must this man be arrived at that he should abuse his Reader with falsity and bid him Mark it too For the Apostle Paul has it thus For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ But if he had recited it right it would then have appeared not only that God is the giver of light and the light a gift but also that it is the light of knowledge and created for God commanded the light to shine out of darkness by creating it See Gen. 1.3 4. But George Fox likes none of these Doctrines therefore it was his Interest to pervert the Text. And because that Text Col. 3.10 seems to have been corrupted by him upon the same account that shall be 4. The next And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him So saith Paul but George Fox p. 220. puts them in stead of him and so the Saints must be the Antecedent to Them whereas the new man is the Antecedent to Him and shews that the new man is created which George Fox is not willing to allow for p. 10. he corrects his Adversary for saying The light is a creature and I take it he means by the light and the new man the same thing However this is the alteration is manifest of the words and of the sence by reason thereof 5. The fifth Scripture shall be that of Deut. 30.14 where I complain of defect p. 10. for there he makes mention indeed of the words of the 12 th and 13 th verses but in the same Character with his own words but then he changes his Character whereby he intimates that he cites the very Text and saith But the word is night in thy heart Deut. 30. Moses saith But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayst do it To say The word is nigh thee in thy heart agrees pretty well with his Doctrine of the light within but to say The word is in thy mouth and in thy heart argues that word there spoken of is indeed such a word as is wont to be in ones mouth that is a word spoken and that our Author G. F. is not willing to acknowledge So he saith p. 47. The word of faith is within Rom. 10. This is manifest that in citing this Scripture he leaves out of the middle that which seems against him and takes the former part and the latter part that seem to be on his side Compare this with what he condemns in his Adversaries Now because it follows immediately in the same paragraph of his Books p. 10. that Text in 6. Luke ch 24. v. 5 6. shall be the sixth Scripture wherein his prevarication appears notorious For he brings in the Priest saying Christ was not in his Disciples when he said I am the light of the world And G.F. corrects him by Christ who saith I in you and you in me Then he brings in the Priest saying They that will came to Justification must go to Christs grave without c. And answers him by citing Deut. 30. as I have said And then it follows And the Angel said unto them that went to the grave without Why seek ye the living among the dead he is risen now the Angel's words run thus Why seek ye the living among the dead He is not here but is risen So G. F. leaves out He is not here out of the middle of the citation for that would have overthrown his opinion of Christ within and not without for the Angels would not say truth in saying He is not here if he was indeed there even within those that sought him 7. The Seventh Scripture follows in the same paragraph So he has abused 3. Texts of Scripture in 6. lines For it follows after He is risen and the Saints sits with him in heavenly places We must take no notice of the failure in Syntax for that 's frequent Now Paul saith Eph. 2.6 and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Now there may be a different sence of sitting with Christ and sitting in him for when an Ambassador from any State is honourably entertained and seated the people of that State may be said to be honourably entertained and to sit in him because he represents them but scarcely to sit with him But whether there be any difference or no in the phrases it 's certain that G. F. chargeth the Translators with corruption for putting with for in See p. 373. Jud. 14. The reciting of this Scripture in this manner is so frequent with him that though he use it perhaps 20 times or more yet not once I think as it is in Scripture And here give me leave to complain of him that he deals like a deceitful Chapman that would not
come before in your Judicatories you are not of another mind before you hear the Judgment of those your Elders and sometimes afterward also and whether you do verily believe that in all cases that have been decided by you every particular person would have been of the same mind being alone as the Society was of in their determination Nay do you not sometimes find your selves aggrieved at the Judgment of men and are you not forced sometimes to set up the Judgment of a part or of the Elder against the Judgment of another part of the people If you are then how is the light in every one of you extended to every particular case or is the light contrary to it self in this and that man or number of men And where is the Infallibility you speak of in particular persons in all cases If you consider this well I am perswaded you will perceive that the light in every man especially in those whose Judgments have been prepossed with false notions as many of you have been before you were Quakers doth not teach him all things whatsoever but all things that are necessary for him to know in order to a holy trust in God and sincere obedience in the general course of his life Besides Doth not the light in every man teach him to make use of such helps and assistances as God has afforded him And doth not the Apostle Paul say whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 And the Apostle John These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name Joh 20. 31. Now supposing the light in every man would teach him every particular thing it is always to be understood if he be obedients to what he knows and diligent in the use of those means God has afforded him of which we find the holy Scriptures are very great means and perhaps he has been negligent in the use of these indeed who can think any less of you who have suffered a Book to be set out in your names about 12 years agoe wherein I have shewed you about fifty false quorations not only false Interpretations or meanings besides non-sence and other faults and yet I am apt to think that scarce one in 500 of you that have read that Book have observed any such falsities And must we believe that God will still give you a light actually teaching you all things whatever how negligent soever you have been or are in the following of that he hath given you Must God be bound with his divine light and Inspiration to supply the defects of you Idleness and pride For when other men count it great mercy and favour in God that he is pleased through the vilest means that may be and through their earnest Study and diligence to grant them the knowledge of his will inlightning their minds by his holy Spirit you must have it like the Angels that always behold his face by immediate Revelation and without labour and Industry So now my friends I deny not that there is a light in every man which he is obliged under pain of the displeasure of the Almighty diligently to eye and follow that so doing it will lead him by degrees into all necessary truth and at length to eternal life I deny not but some of you have received and done much good by following this light but I must say again and that with great sorrow of heart that your preachers especially G. F. have greatly mistaken both the Teachings of and the Obedience to the Lights that your zeal been in great part not according to knowledge that you lay great snares in your onw way by binding your selves to those things to which God hath not bound you that in stead of worshipping God in spirit and truth you require the observation of ceremonies things in themselves neither good nor evil such are your not putting off the hat in Salutations not saying you but thou to a single person not calling him Master that is a Master and the like which your negative precepts no man in the world is one jot the better for your are the worse But above all your allegorical way of interpreting Scripture tends utterly to make it void and of no use and consequently to the ruine and overthrow of all Christian Religion Now I doubt not but there will be found among you more then one Solomon Eccles whose blood will boile within him and stir him up to the vindication of this great Prophet I can easily perswade my self that there is scarce any one of you that at least has at any time wrote any thing in your cause but he or she will think him or herself as soon they read the Title-page able to give a confuting answer to all that can be said against so worthy a person but I should think that as none of you is so able so none should be more provoked to defend him than your late Apologist William Pen who from Jenner's relation did observe that the only blasphemy was against G. Fox in speaking evilly of the Lord's servant p. 170. of that Apol. If he be moved to ingage in it I only beg of him that he would first be satisfied in his own conscience and light concerning that underta king and if he can do that I shall ever after have a better opinion of the Popish writers that ingage in defence of Transubstantiation Here I easily foresee one substantial Objection against me and Defence of George will be that I was ashamed of my name and durst not subscribe it to the charge Now I am almost ready to grant the last part of the Objection for I have some fear upon me on that acount and my reasons for it are such as these 1. There are some of your writers that make it a great part of their answers to Books the reproaching of the Author and they are very Rhetorical in that point and truly I desire rather a pertinent answer and am not willing to put into your hands an occasion for an impertinent one If you had my name then it must be considered what party I am of whether an Episcopalian Prechyterian Independent c. and accordingly all that is odious or so reputed either in the Doctrine or practice of the whole party or any particular person thereof must all be raked up against me and serve for a very plausible Answer Or if I should chance to be an old man of sixty six like your Adversary Jenner that would help as it doth against him to render me doting at every turn and be matter for a good part of an eighteen pence Apology Or if I have been a Brasier heretofore or a Tayler the world must be made to know what a pitiful mean fellow I am and must be told my name with Tinker or Tayler at the end one See the Apol. p. 2. But if this will not be enough you have a way that will serve you effectually to disgrace any man living so far as it is in your power and that is by suggesting as G. Whitehead against Mr. Danson Divinity of Christ p. 49. that he was given to Gaming Bowls and Nine-pins any crime whatsoever and when the suggestion is proved to be false if it so fall out unhappily you may come off as he by saying you did but quaere whether it was so or no you did not positively affirm it Will these things incourage any man to put his name into your hands that can keep it out Judge yee Besides I known not what disadvantage it will be to you not to know my name for what I have written will be as true without it as with it I confess that perhaps you will lose some of that sweetness of Revenge you would take in lustily bespattering me and that I am not willing to gratify you with I thank God through Jesus Christ I have a full testimony in my own Conscience both touching the causes and Inducements of my present writing viz. my hearty love and affection to Truth and your persons for whom I have longtime dayly prayed God who is light to lead you into the true light and the acknowledgment of the Mystery which was hid from Ages and Generations and also touching my faithfulness and Intergrity in the collection and Citations and Observations I have made so that whoever of you have a true discerning of spirits which you lay so great a claim to I am sure ye must justify me in what I have done and receive it as that which I was moved to in the general by the light of God and Christ in my heart But however you receive it or judge of it he that justifieth me is the Lord to whom I commit my self and it still praying for you for I am Your affectionate Friend FINIS The courteous Reader may be pleased to take notice that the words relating to Scripture in the Citations out of G. Fox should have been Printed in a different Character as they are in G o F's Book such are these p. 6.1.7 l. 12. p. 7. l. 21.14 p. 8. l. 12.13.24.25.27 p. 9. l. 15.17 them l. 30. p. 10. l. 20.29 p. 11. l. 25.26 p. 12. l. 〈◊〉 p. 13. l. 16.27 p. 14. l. 21.26 the Spirit l. 32. 82. ERRATA Page 7. l. 33. non read not p. 11. l. 18. r. found there p. 13. l. 〈◊〉 for I am only to 1. It 's enough that l. p. 31 l. 12 for 1 far p. 38. l. 25.1 think * In his Book called The Quakers Challenge thus Stand up Muggleton the sorcerer whose mouth is full of Cursing Lies and Blasphemy who call st thy last Book A looking Glass for George Fox whose name thou are not worthy to take into thy mouth who is a Prophet indeed and hath been faithful in the Lords business from the begâ—nning It was said of Christ That he was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not So it may â—o said of this true Prophet whom John said he war not but thou wilt feel this Prophet one day as heavy as a milstone upon thee and although the world know him not yet he is known