given many times as the answer of their Prayers their Supplications to God for to give it plainly shews it was not in their power of the Apostles to give it Secondly That Baptism which is here intended which our Lord commanded his Apostles to baptize with was the Baptism which after his Ascension they did baptize with and that 't is evident was Water Can any man forbid Water saith Peter Acts 10. 47. that these should not be baptized c. 't is said They went both down into the Water both Philip and the Eunuch Acts 8. 38. Now the Baptism here commanded must needs remain to be practised to the end of the World Because whatsoever is here given forth by Christ is given forth as he is King and Mediatour of the New Covenant and as part of his last Will and Testament and his last Will and Testament stands in full force and vertue to the end of the World unalterable and whosoever brings any other Gospel let him be accursed Thirdly Because 't is the mind of Christ that whatsoever he Commanded them should be taught successively to the Nations And his Spiritual Presence being promised unto the end of the World to all those that did keep and observe whatsoever he there commanded them plainly proves that the practice of all those Ordinances were to be kept up to the end of the World But again To prove that the practice of Water-Baptism doth remain in full force and vertue after the coming of Christ in Spirit I need not go further to make it appear than the second of the Acts. Christ made good the Promise of the Comforter or his coming to his Disciples in Spirit as you may see in the beginning of that Chapter by the help and power of which Spirit Peter preach'd to those Jews that had put Christ to death and many of them being pricked in their hearts cryed out What shall we do Then said Peter vers 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ and you shall receive the gift of the holy Spirit And vers 41. 't is said Those that gladly received the Word were baptized and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand Souls This observe was after that coming of Christ which you speak of Do you think that the Apostle Peter in the Name and Authority of Christ Jesus would have commanded so many persons to be baptized if he had understood Water-Baptism ceased at the pourings forth of the Spirit or the practice of it was to remain no longer Besides was not the Eunuch baptized in Water after the coming of Christ in Spirit Acts 8. 41 42. and many in the City of Samaria and was not Paul baptized by Ananias Acts 9. and Cornelius and those with him after the coming of Christ in Spirit with many others that I might mention and yet you very ignorantly affirm That the practice of it was to remain no longer than till Christ so came as aforesaid I might now come to Answer another Objection that some of your judgment bring against this Appointment of Christ and then come to examine the remaining part of your Letter 't is grounded from Paul's words 1 Cor. 1. 14. I thank God I baptized none of you save Crispus and Gaius Observe by the way That though this is brought as an Objection against Baptism yet the Objector doth thereby confess the Baptism here intended is that of Water and then by your own confession Paul baptized after the coming of the Comforter or Christ in Spirit But you say he thanks God he baptized no more Indeed too many by them if the practice of it were out of doors before But to return you an Answer take his next words for it he gives you the reason why he thanked God he baptized no more 't is not because the practice then was not in force but lest any should say he baptized in his own Name many amongst them were grown so carnal as to slight or else to idolize their Teachers and ready to accuse the Ministers of Christ with unfaithfulness as if they did that in their own Names which they did in the Name and Authority of Christ Jesus and this was the cause of his speaking those words But 't is objected That he doth affirm Christ sent him not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel Answ Paul doth not intend by his so speaking that he had no Authority from Christ to baptize but rather to show that his chief work was to Preach the Gospel He gives us to understand that to baptize was not the alone and chief business he was sent to do but his great work was to Preach the Gospel This word not is not alwayes used as an absolute Negative for then Christ utterly forbids all outward labour Joh. 6. 27. where he commands them Not to labour for the meat which perisheth c. and by the same Argument we may conclude also that Adam was not at all deceived because Paul saith expresly 1 Tim. 2. 14. Adam was not deceived but the Woman It is clear the Apostle meaneth Adam was not first deceived I might give divers instances of the like kind but this shall at present suffice as to the Answer of this Objection I shall now come to examine the next part of your Letter these are your very words being a Repetition and Reply to some part of that which I formerly wrote unto you Thou speakest of the Body of Christ after he was risen again and sayest That after that he spake with his Disciples and gave them Commandments that then he Ascended with the same Body into Heaven which words are not agreeable to the Scripture Brother be not too wise in thy own conceit for it is no where said That flesh and blood is Christ but Jesus Christ came in the flesh Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. But one in a certain place saith That he first descended into the lower parts of the Earth and he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things Ephes 4. 9 10. Beware at any time thou opens thy mouth against the true Light that lightneth every man which cometh into the World for it is the pure Principle which is owned by the scorned People called Quakers and ought to be owned by thee also Oh Brother come out of your beggarly Elements and turn to the Light which reproves for sin and believe in it and it will certainly take away thy sin Surely he is come yea he is come felt heard and understood c. Answ What I formerly wrote unto you concerning Christ and of his appearing to his Disciples after he rose again from the dead and that he ascended with the same body into Heaven is expresly according to the words of the holy Scriptures And for being wise in my own conceit I have otherwise learned Christ and the wisdom
when all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul vers 12. they arose all the valiant men and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his Sons and brought them to Jabesh and buried their bones under the Oak c. What they speak of Christ they may as well affirm concerning Saul and his Sons the case is the same Saul was not flesh they may as well conclude but something which did dwell in that body that the men of Jabesh Gilead buried under an Oak after his overthrow because that body is not called Saul but the body of Saul The same we also reade concerning Moses as may be seen Jude vers 9. Michael the Archangel when contending with the Devil he disputed about the body of Moses durst not bring a railing accusation against him c. That Moses was a man consisting of flesh and bone they may deny by the same Argument or say assuredly that that body was not him because it is called his body as so to affirm and speak concerning our Lord Jesus 'T is not said saith one of your Teachers that Joseph of Arimathea begged the Jesus of Jesus but the body of * See G. Whitehead's Book called The Light of Christ within p. 62. Jesus As if it must needs have been so said if that Man called Jesus had been the Christ What Nonsense would this man have writ if he had penned the story concerning the body of Saul he must have writ the men of Jabesh took up the Saul of Saul And what a strange Epitaph would this man write upon a Grave or Tombstone he can't write by this Argument Here lies the body of Thomas or William c. but rather thus Here lies the Thomas of Thomas And by this all persons may see how ridiculous these men render themselves while they scrape up such silly Arguments to deny and oppose the Truth But to proceed You tell me That flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and so from those words of the Apostle conclude That our Saviour is not ascended with the same body into Heaven above which he took in the Womb of the Virgin Answ I understand to my trouble that many poor Souls in these last and evil days are carried away so far by the Spirit of Dâ—â—sion that they do deny the Resurrection the dead and this place of Scripture 〈◊〉 you mention I find is commonly made use of as a proof and confirmation of this their evil opinion but how exceedingly you and others do wrest the words of the Apostle in 1 Cor. 15. I might abundantly make appear It seems strange to me that you should father such a Principle upon the Apostle Paul who doth so clearly in the Spirit and Power of Christ Jesus in that very Chapter oppose and utterly detect it and sharply reproves those that did deny the Resurrection of the dead in his dayes If there be no resurrection of the dead saith he vers 13. then is not Christ risen and if Christ be not risen then is our Preaching vain yea and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up if the dead rise not For if the dead rise not then is not Christ risen vers 16. And if Christ be not raised your Faith is vain and ye are yet in your sins viz. Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished vers 18. Observe these expressions well and let all such tremble who are found this day opposing and denying this glorious Truth and great Fundamental of the Gospel Remember the words of our blessed Saviour himself Joh. 5. 28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good to the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation This cannot intend a rising out of the grave of sin because rising in that sense spiritually from the dead our Lord spake of that before in the same Chapter ver 25. and he plainly holds forth this rising vers 28. to be quite another thing to that he speaks of v. 25. And there are none that hear Christ's voice and are raised spiritually from the dead in that respect that do rise to condemnation The Lord Jesus alludes to the same Resurrection which Daniel speaks of Dan. 12. 2. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt Thy dead men shall live saith the Prophet Isa 26. 19. with my dead body shall they arise Abundance of clear proofs I might further urge for the clearing up of this Truth but I shall proceed and indeed should not have mentioned these Scriptures but that I find you questioning if not utterly denying the Resurrection of the body You mention Paul's expression 1 Cor. 15. flesh blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God To Answer you in this much I need not speak for it is evident to any unless such who are wofully blinded that by flesh and blood the Apostle doth intend corruption or corruptible flesh and blood and therefore he testifies that those who are alive at the coming of Jesus Christ shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye For saith he this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortallity he will change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body Phil. 3. 21. But let not any conclude because the Apostle doth affirm our bodies shall be changed that therefore the same body respecting the matter substance or essence of it shall not be raised for Paul asserts that the same it which is sown in corruption that very same it riseth in incorruption and every seed shall have its own body If the same body which is buried in the Grave respecting the matter rise not then the dead rise not All the change is touching the state qualities or condition of the body the corruption and imperfection and all manner of deformity shall be done away and it shall rise more glorious than it was before To help your understanding a little further consider that true convertion is called a change the Soul of every regenerate godly Man and Woman is changed yet it t is not a change of the essence of the Soul but only of its evil qualities c. Observe a saying of Job Job 19. 25 c. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and my eyes shall behold and not another although my reins be consumed in me That same body that hath sinned with the Soul shall be punished with the Soul and the same body
Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8. 20. But why dare you say That the practice of Bread Wine and Water was to be held no longer than till Christ came By his coming you intend his coming in Spirit That this is false and contrary to holy Scripture I shall evidently make appear And first I shall begin with the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper which you call Bread and Wine and that the practice of this continues and remains in full force and virtue to the end of the World or until the Second coming or Appearance of Christ in Person and that he is not so come the second time I shall also prove to thee before I have done That the practice of breaking Bread and drinking Wine in remembrance of Christ's Death remains after the coming of Christ in Spirit I prove by these Arguments following First Because the Apostle Paul did receive this from our Saviour as a glorious Appointment and Institution of the Lord Jesus a considerable time after the coming of Christ in Spirit The Promise of the Comforter or Christ's coming in Spirit was performed and fulfilled to the Sainrs some days after his Ascention as may be seen in the second of the Acts and it was some time after this before Paul was converted unto Christ For Paul after the coming of the Spirit according to the Promise of the Father and our Lord Jesus remained in darkness and was a Persecutor of the Saints and yet see I beseech ye what he affirms to the Church of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. 23. For I received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me and after the same manner also he took the Cup c. Now if Paul received this after that coming of Christ which you speak of as an Institution and Divine Appointment of the Lord Jesus as it appears plainly he did then that which you affirm is utterly false and to be rejected But Secondly The Apostle did not only receive this from Christ after the coming of Christ in Spirit but also did deliver it as Christ's Appointment to the Saints That which I received of the Lord saith he I also delivered unto yon Thirdly I argue further That this Ordinance doth remain in force and the practice of it to be held up after the coming of Christ in Spirit because the Primitive Saints did abide in the practice of it after the pouring forth of the Spirit according to Christ's Promise as appears Acts 2. 42. They continued in the Apostles Doctrine in breaking of Bread and Prayer compare this with Acts 20. 7 11. also 1 Cor. 11. 20. to the end Fourthly Consider The end of this Ordinance doth remain notwithstanding the pourings forth of the Spirit and therefore the Ordinance must needs remain which is to confirm our Faith in the true Saviour and to keep up our Love to him who gave his Body to be broken and his Blood to be shed for our sakes This is to be done to shew forth his Death until he come And these things considered which hath been said 't is plain it cannot intend his Spiritual Coming or the giving forth the holy Spirit the Comforter according to his promise And that he is not come the Second time without sin to Salvation as you seem to affirm doth appear First Because his coming that day shall be visible Every eye shall see him Rev. 1. 7. Secondly Because his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives Zech. 14. 4. and he shall come in the same manner as he went up to Heaven Acts. 1. 11. Thirdly Because the Saints which had the highest attainments of the Spirit or to whom Christ was Spiritually come as gloriously as ever he came to any of the Saints did notwithstanding that still expect look and wait for his coming from Heaven See 1 Cor. 1. vers 4 5 6 7. I thank my God alwayes on your behalf for the Grace of God which is given to you by Jesus Christ tht in every thing ye are inriched by him in all utterance and all knowledge even as the Testimony of Christ was confirmed in you mark that So that ye come behind in no gift waiting for his Son from Heaven If Christ was not spiritually come to these who was he come to and yet they waited for his coming The Saints at Thessalonica are said to turn from Idols to serve the true God and to wait for his Son from Heaven 1 Thess 1. 9 10. and unto those that look for him saith the Apostle He shall appear the Second time without sin unto Salvation Heb. 9. 28. The beloved Apostle who injoyed so much of the Spiritual Presence of Christ yet desired and looked for his coming Which clearly shews that his Second coming is another manner of coming than that which you speak of for when he comes he comes with all his Saints and holy Angels with him and when he comes the Graves shall be opened and the Dead shall be raised yea the dead Bodies of Men and Women 1 Thess 4. 16. You say that you are risen from the dead already and Christ is come the Second time but be assured of this you will find another Resurrection Coming and Judgment ere long than this I could wish it were so indeed that thou hadst part in the true work of Regeneration that so in that day thou mightest have part in the first Resurrection for the dead in Christ shall rise first 1 Thess 4. which cannot intend any other save the dead bodies of the Saints who are fallen asleep or gone to the dust But because I have somewhat to say in the Vindication of Baptism which you call Water I shall proceed to that for as you and other Quakers deny the continuance of the Lord's Supper so also you affirm that the practise of Water-Baptism was to continue but till Christ came in Spirit Now how false this is may appear First from the Commission Matth. 28. 19 20. where Christ gave forth this blessed Ordinance All Power is given to me in Heaven and Earth Go therefore teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded yon and lo I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Now that the Baptism here spoken of is that of Water is evident because the Disciples are commanded or injoyned to be the Administraters or Dispensers of it To baptize with the holy Spirit is the alone Work Prerogative and Office of Jesus Christ and it never was in the power of any Apostle or Disciple of Christ to do it though the Spirit was
3. 11. yet how is this stone in these dayes as well as he was in former times set at nought and dissallowed by many who take upon them to be builders some wholly do disown him others in a mysterious manner lay him aside for notwithstanding their fair pretences of making him their pattern yet the foundation upon which they build is quite another thing And a third sort there be who build upon him but in part and few they are by whom Jesus Christ is alone exalted c. It is the great grief and trouble of my Soul to see what new and strange Opinions are daily hatched and fomented by the Spirit of Errour and Delusion concerning Jesus Christ Some deny his glorious Godhead Deity or Divine Nature Others though they do assert that Jesus Christ is the most high God yet will they not grant that Jesus of Nazareth that man who was born of the Virgin is the Christ and very God but rather as thou mayst perceive by this precedent discourse they absolutely assirm that that inward Light Power or Godhead distinct and apart from the Human Nature or Body that was prepared for him was the Christ that is to say the Spirit or the Anointing and not HE who was therewith anointed And what is this less than to deny the Lord who laid down his life and was crucified to make peace and reconcile us to the Father c. Notwithstanding somewhat hath already been spoken to refute this strange Doctrine yet I am stirred up to add this after-word hoping it may prove through the blessing of the Almighty for a further confirmation of the weak in the truth of the Gospel That which I intend to do is to prove and more clearly make appear that Jesus Christ is truly Man but more especially to shew that he viz. Jesus of Nazareth is the most high God First That he is a Man consider and weigh well these Scriptures that give to him that Appellation The Prophet Isaiah calls him a Man of sorrows Isa 53. 3. The Apostle Peter calls him a man approved of God see Acts 2. 22. Ye men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by Miracles and Wonders c. John the Baptist called him a Man Joh. 1. 30. This is he of whom I said after me cometh a MAN c. The Apostle Paul calls him a Man 1 Tim. 2. 5. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the MAN Christ Jesus And the Author to the Hebrews in several places calls him a Man see Heb. 7. 24. 10. 12. But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God Secondly as he is called a Man so 't is evident and plainly affirmed in Scripture that he was made flesh Joh. 1. 14. or did assume our Nature Forasmuch then as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same Heb. 2. 14. compare this with vers 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Moreover the Apostles saith Rom. 1. 3. That he viz. Jesus Christ was made of the seed of David according to the flesh And Gal. 4. 4. the same Apostle affirms That God sent forth his Son made of a Woman c. and from hence he is called the Son of David and the Off-spring of David c. But to proceed Thirdly The Scriptures sayes He was made like unto us in all things sin only excepted he had the very form shape and fashion of a man Phil. 2. 8. That he was born of the Virgin and laid in swadling clothes and that he grew in stature or bigness as others do Luke 2. 52. That he was subject to hunger and cold Matth. 4. 2. and that some times he was found to mourn and weep and at another time to rejoyce and also that of some things he was ignorant and that he was exposed to temptation Matth. 4. 1. Heb. 2. 18. and also unto the rage and fury of wicked men that he was put to death his side the Scripture sayes was pierced and that out of it came water and blood that his feet and hands were nailed to the Cross and that he was buried or laid in a new Sepulchre and that he rose from the dead Now 't is clear and undeniable that all these things could not be said of him were he not in very deed a man as we are c. The next thing that I am to do is to shew and make appear unto you from the holy Scripture That this very man viz. Jesus of Nazareth though he is truly man yet also he is the most high and eternal God and that the Humane and Divine Nature make but one Christ there being such a glorious wonderful and mysterious Union of the two Natures in one Person And for the proof of this observe the Answer of the Apostle Peter to the question our Saviour put forth Matth. 16. 13. Whom do men say that I the Son of man am To which Peter answered vers 16. Thou art CHRIST the Son of the living God This Answer our Lord approved of and therefore said Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven And again at another time when Jesus asked his Disciples whether they also would go away Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and are sure that thou art THAT CHRIST the Son of the living GOD. And to this agrees the saying and Testimony of the Angel to Mary Luk. 2. 36. The holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall over shadow thee therefore also that holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God It may not be amiss also if I mention the words of Nathaniel Joh. 1. 4 9. Nathaniel answered and said Rabbi Thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel And that I may further make this appear that Jesus of Nazareth is truly God yea the most high God as is the Father and of the same substance and essence though distinguished from the Father as touching his personal subsistence I shall lay down these following Arguments taken from the holy Scriptures First Because he hath that very name or application given unto him See Heb. 1. 8. But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever compared with Acts 20. where the Apostle chargeth the Elders of the Church of Ephesus to take heed unto themselves and to all the Flock over which the holy Spirit had made them Overseers to seed the Church of God which HE observe hath purchased with his own blood vers 28. Now all men know that he who gave himself for the Church to purchase the